


House of the Wicked

by SonofHades



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Bigotry & Prejudice, Dysfunctional Family, Family, M/M, Male Slash, Past Percy/Nico - Freeform, Religious Conflict, Witch Curses, Witchcraft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-21
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2018-04-27 11:03:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 32
Words: 330,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5045785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonofHades/pseuds/SonofHades
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It had all seemed like such an easy trip to Jason at the time. Now he finds himself in the middle of some strange new friends, a town filled with bigots, and a man getting burned to a cross. And these new dreams... where were they coming from? What did they mean? And why can't he get this strange boy out of his head?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Something Wicked This Way Comes

Whenever he dreamed, it was usually the same. Not a dream, but more of a memory. A night that Jason would never forget. How could he?

He had been having dinner with his parents at a nice restaurant, celebrating his election as freshman class president. His father had been very proud. He would laugh whenever his mother told a joke, while stuffing his face with the most delicious food that he had ever had. At least that's what his stomach told him after barely eating anything the day before due to his nerves over the election.

But the dreams never happened the same. His memories felt fragmented. Even now, the blond found it hard to so much as remember the sound of his father's voice. His mother's was different, as her last words would always haunt him.

It was while he was listening to his parents talk that he realized it was just a dream. Because he could not understand them. Their words were muffled, incoherent. Jason wanted to wake up. He always tried to. It just never worked. Not until Jason saw him.

The restaurant darkened and his parents were ripped away. Jason found himself standing not far from a streetlight. It was so cold suddenly, even though Jason knew it was just a dream. It felt so, so real. Jason was not sure when the man appeared, but a strange man with a cigarette in his mouth now stood below the streetlight.

The man smiled a twisted smile at Jason before stepping to the side, revealing Jason's father with a bullet hole in the center of his skull. Fear coursed through Jason's being as he ran as far and as fast away from the man as possible.

Blood began to flow through the streets, swirling around him. No matter how fast Jason ran, it kept coming. There were car horns, though Jason never saw any. Behind him came the sound of a gun being fired. He just kept running. Why could he not escape?

“Jason!” He heard his mother scream from the darkness.

“Mom!” Jason came to a halt, frantically searching the darkness for his mother.

His only reply was a gunshot. His mother appeared out of nowhere, shielding him from the bullet. She clutched him with dear life. Jason let out a scream of agony as he heard the bullet pierce his mother's back. His eyes shut tight as he felt her grip on him loosen.

He remembered a bright light and his hair standing up on his arms. There was a loud pop before every light in the street shattered. His mother screamed for him to run, but Jason couldn't bring himself to let her go. He could save her.

It didn't matter. As Jason continued to scream, a sharp pain hit him in the chest. It was like everything stopped. The hair on his arms fell flat as the blond collapsed to his knees. He looked down to find his shirt soaked in blood. Jason slowly fell onto his side. As blood began to pool around him, Jason spotted him.

A boy, around his age, standing in the distance. It was so hard to make him out with Jason's vision fading. It was like the boy was reaching out to him. Almost like he wanted to help. The boy reached up and clutched his chest in the same place Jason had been shot.

The world seemed to decay around him. Leaves and ash fell from the sky, while cars crumbled into dust. The street began to wash away. Beryl Grace's hand, now rotten and decayed, reached out and grabbed Jason's shirt. Her eyes snapped open, now hollow.

Jason looked up when he felt someone standing over him. It was the boy. It was like he was not even there, like some kind of specter. “Jason!” Beryl screamed at the same moment the ghostly boy reached down and touched Jason's chest.

Everything exploded

Seventeen year old Jason Grace sat up in his car, now covered in sweat. Whether it was from the dream or from the horrid weather, he did not know. Frowning down at his drenched shirt, Jason brought his seat out of the reclining position. Jason reached over and picked up his glasses from the passenger seat, sliding them onto his face. He knew it was not going to be there, but Jason still peeled his shirt back to check for a bullet wound. Nothing.

His dreams were always like that. It was like he could never escape from that night. It just replayed over and over, always in a different way. Things would change from time to time, but it all ended the same. His parents would die, he would get shot, and the boy would be there. Jason could never see his face, no matter how many times he dreamed about the boy.

His therapist had told him his dreams were just trying to help him cope with what happened, having to witness his parents get murdered. The reports said there was no boy, nobody was even around Jason when they found him. But that was something that really stuck with him. That night, Jason swore he saw this boy, but it was like he was not really there. Just like in the dream. He touched Jason, and the next thing the blond knew, he was waking up in the hospital.

The doctors had been frantic when he woke up, scrambling around due to an unexpected electrical storm. It was amazing that Jason had even lived, the doctors said. They had given him a few more hours before Jason had woke up.

It was crazy, right? Dreaming about this boy that did not even exist. Yet, Jason had dreams about this boy even before his parents were murdered. He was always far away, or not even facing Jason. The blond had never seen his face, not once. He could try calling out to him, running to the boy, but it did not change anything. Jason could never reach him, never get his attention. Not until the night his parents were killed. That night, when this boy that did not even exist touched him, it was like Jason could never get him out of his head.

Blowing out a breath, Jason cranked the car.

“Why is this place so damn humid?” The blond grumbled as he fell back against his seat. He had to wipe his face again because of the heat.

He was going to be a senior this year. And what great way had his aunt thought to celebrate it? By sending him in search of a family that he did not even know he had. What great location was he having to go to? Louisiana. Not even New Orleans at that, but a small town called Aimes. Even more frustrating, his aunt was not coming with him. No, she did not want to leave her home in California. She did, however, set Jason up with a place to stay with an old friend of hers named Mellie, who Jason had only met once or twice in his life. She was nice, that wasn't the problem, it was just frustrating to be uprooted from his home and friends to search for people that had never even tried to find him.

She could not even give him a clue. Maybe she didn't know them, Jason was not sure. All she had told him was that they were supposed to live in this godforsaken town that was next to impossible to locate on a map. It would have been nice to at least know their names. How many people was he even supposed to be looking for? 

Sending anyone to a place like this was just cruel. How did anyone survive in this humidity, or with the mosquitoes constantly attacking you? He had been unaware that mosquitoes could even come in the size of pterodactyls, at least until reaching this place.

Jason picked up his phone from the passenger seat, glaring when he saw that he did not have signal. Was it going to be like this in Aimes? If he could ever find the place. He was going to have to find some directions pretty soon. The only reason he had made it this far into the endless sea of trees was because the people down here definitely lived up to their reputation for hospitality. Some people often looked at him weird whenever he tried to pronounce the name of the town, though.

“You mean Aimes, son,” most of them would tell him. He had not counted on them pronouncing the word like the word 'aims'. He would just sigh and nod.

And then there was the amount of open space. Last night, he had driven an hour before reaching the next town. In that time, he had barely encountered any other vehicles. And it only seemed to get worse the closer he got to the town.

“Not many people go out that ways,” would be the reply from some people. To say the least, it did not ease his nerves about the entire thing. And he was not even going to get started on the lack of hills and all the swamps.

Turning the car back off, Jason got out of the car with a sigh. He would have much preferred to fly, but having his car would probably come in handy. Stretching his arms above his head, Jason headed into the rest stop that he had parked outside of the night before.

He definitely got a lot of looks when he entered the building. A lot of the more... country gentlemen just gave him funny looks. In the defense of his attire, he was used to beaches, not swamps. And, well, the women just kind of gawked at him. The lady at the desk looked like she had not seen a man in years when she noticed Jason approach. Sorry to burst her bubble, but she was probably in her early thirties and Jason was still in high school. No thanks.

“Something you need, sugar?” She asked, straightening her shirt a little bit.

“Um,” Jason rubbed the back of his neck, “I was sort of wondering if you could give me some directions to Aimes.”

The woman raised a brow at him. “Well, not every day that we have people wanting to go out there,” the blonde woman replied. Her accent was everything that Jason had expected from someone from the south. She pulled out a small map and pointed down at it with her bright pink nails. “You just wanna keep going straight on this road here, sweetie. It'll take you straight into town.”

Jason flashed one of his bright smiles at the woman. “Thanks so much.”

She glanced him over, her brow knitting together. “Would you like some coffee, or something? It's free. You look a little sick.”

The boy shook his head. “I'll be fine.” He found himself unconsciously scratching his chest. He frowned and dropped his hand. “Can I keep this?” He asked, picking up the map.

She smiled a sickeningly sweet smile. “'Course, sugar. I bet the girls are gonna have a time minding themselves with a handsome young man like you coming into town.”

He smiled again at her, his cheeks slightly pink, and pocketed the map. When he was outside again, Jason peeled back his shirt. His skin looked slightly irritated. The blond sighed. He really needed to get that under control.

Jason tossed the map into the passenger seat upon getting into his car. He wasn't that far away, according to where the woman had pointed to. That was good, at least. He groaned when he caught sight of his backseat in the mirror. His car was packed to the brim with his things. Even the floor of the passenger seat had to be used. Maybe he just needed a bigger car. 

After buckling up and checking his mirrors, Jason pulled out of the parking lot and continued down the road. He probably should have made this trip a few days earlier, but he had been wanting to put it off. Now he was going to get into town the day before school started. Great idea. His schedule looked rather boring, but there had not been a very extensive course list to choose from. They didn't even offer most of the classes he had been wanting to take when he made out his schedule for his last school. At least he had baseball.

At his old school, Jason had been class president for three years in a row. Not only that, but he was supposed to be team captain this year for the baseball team. Not going to happen now, he reminded himself.

There were not that many turns in the road as Jason continued down the highway to hell—er, Aimes. He could see for miles, due to the lack of hills. He felt a little open and exposed due to that. Not that he hated being out in this much nature. It wasn't that. He was just used to being surrounded by buildings and lots of people. There were definitely plenty of trees out here, though. Along with the occasional alligator crossing sign. They were joking... right?

Almost an hour later, the scenery had lost all appeal to him. “Why won't you work?” Jason groaned down at his phone, which he had let fall into his lap. How was he supposed to find Mellie's house if the GPS on his phone did not work?

On the bright side, he had found the town. Well, the exit for the town. He had parked his car and had attempted to locate his destination with little luck. He groaned and hit his head on the steering wheel. Screw it, he thought to himself.

Shifting his car back into drive, he took off towards the town. There were a lot of trees, and not many signs of there being a town around here. He did notice, though, that there was an increase in houses.

After a few minutes, he sighed in relief upon sighting a stop sign. Sure enough, the town was just beyond it. Not very tall buildings, he noted. As he came to a stop at the sign, he took note that none of them seemed to go higher than three stories. He missed home already.

A piece of paper with Mellie's address sat in his lap. He glanced down at it and leaned forward in his seat, trying to get a look at each street that he passed. He quickly found the city hall, police station, and even his new high school easily. They were actually not that far apart.

The downtown area had more people walking about. The women wore a lot of weaved hats and long dresses. He was sure he would be able to hear their hills clacking if he had been outside. The one thing they definitely did not have a shortage of were churches. Jason seemed to find one of those on almost every street.

Not much seemed to be open on Sunday, aside from restaurants. In a few hours, he had no doubt that everyone would be heading to get a seat at church. The streets of the downtown area were lined with small shops: clothing, jewelry, a few diners, and even a photography studio.

Two men sat outside one of the diners, chewing tobacco. Jason made a face as each of them raised an empty bottle and spit the contents of their mouth into it. Disgusting, he thought.

Thirty minutes later, he still was unable to find any trace of where he needed to go. And his phone? Completely useless. The service kept shooting up and down like one of those fountains outside of Vegas hotels.

As fortune would have it, four teenagers stood under a tree by the high school when Jason passed by it again. One of them stood out to Jason, due to the fact that they wore a black hoodie and black jeans in this horrid heat. How the hell was this person not suffocating? When the all black clad figure waved at the other three, a tall blond boy pulled them into a hug.

When the person in the hoodie pushed the blond away, the hood fell off to reveal a boy with a head of messy black hair. It was so odd, because Jason was hit with a feeling of déjà vu. He shook his head of that when a tall girl with long black hair reached out to pinch the black haired boy's cheek. Knocking her hand away, the boy pulled his hood back up. Shoving his hands into his pockets, the boy turned and walked away. Jason unconsciously found himself watching the boy go, until he disappeared into some trees on the far side of the school. A blonde girl stood between two other remaining teenagers, rolling her eyes at something they said.

When Jason rolled down his window, the black haired girl took notice of him. She arched a brow and nudged the blond boy beside her, who had his back to Jason. When he turned around, Jason was met with a pair of chilling, icy blue eyes. The guy stared at Jason for a moment, blinking, before glancing at the two girls.

“Um, excuse me,” Jason called over to them. “Could any of you possibly help me? I'm sort of lost, and I can't find this address.”

The raven haired girl with dark eyes that reminded Jason of a wolf turned to glance at the blonde girl beside her. She leaned in to whisper something briefly before pointing to herself. “Us?”

Jason gave them all a funny look as he nodded his head. There really was not anyone else around. Why wouldn't they think Jason meant them. Were they diseased or something? Jason gave them a quick glance over to be safe.

The blond was fairly tall, Jason estimated around six foot two. He had a similar lean build to that of Jason, just with a hint of more muscle to him. His hair was short, barely dusting over his forehead and a few strands sticking up in the front. He did have a very mischievous grin on his face, like it was permanently there. He was clad in a red and white, striped shirt and white shorts. And the only thing that marred his features was a long, thin scar that ran just under his eye, down to his chin.

The blonde girl was a head shorter than the blond next to her, give or take an inch. She wore a Yankees cap on top of her head, and a ponytail of wavy hair stuck out of the back of it. Her build was athletic, but she had the looks of a princess. Underneath that cap, though, was a pair of unnerving gray eyes. There was a silver charm on her tan wrist, but Jason was not close enough to get a good look at it.

Lastly was the raven haired girl. Like the others, she was on the tall side. Like the blonde girl, she too had tan skin, but Jason got the impression that it was due to heritage, rather than laying out in the sun. Her piercing black eyes were studying Jason closely. Her glossy black hair had been tied into a single braid, which rested over the front of her shoulder.

“He must be new to town,” the blonde girl blurted out. She received a smack to the arm from the blond guy next to her.

After he rolled his eyes, the blond boy began to approach the car. He placed an arm above Jason's window and leaned down. “Don't mind them, they sometimes forget their manners,” he joked, holding out his hand for Jason. Jason smiled and shook it. “The name's Luke. And my two partners in crime here are Annabeth and Reyna.” He briefly gave Jason a funny look. “You are new, though, right?”

It caught Jason a little off-guard. After hearing so many people speak from asking for directions, Jason was surprised at how mild Luke's accent was. There was a small hint of one, but it was attractive more than anything.

When he realized that Luke was still waiting for an answer, Jason snapped his mouth shut. “Um, yeah. I'm Jason.”

Luke peered into the back seat. “I suppose the load you're carrying should have given it away,” he chuckled. Luke quickly glanced over his shoulder, where the two girls were whispering to each other. “Hey, you two!” The girls stopped their conversation to glare at the blond. “You want to help the new guy out? Maybe we can make a new friend before the town corrupts him.”

Jason blinked. “What?”

Luke just waved it off with a laugh. “It's nothing, don't worry. You'll see.”

The girl in the baseball cap stepped forward, leaning an arm on Luke's shoulder. “So, where did you move from?”

“California,” Jason answered.

Luke let out a low whistle. “Long ways from home.” A crooked grin appeared on his lips. “Come on, let us be off before the saints discover us walking the streets and toss holy water on us.”

The blonde girl rolled her eyes and held her hand out. “I'm Annabeth. Don't mind Luke, he's just obnoxious.”

Luke scratched a spot just below his eye before shrugging. “So,” he leaned down to rest his arms on the window, “you want us to tag along? We'd be happy to rob- I mean, help you settle in.”

Jason glanced down at his phone. Thank god, it finally had signal again. “Just let me call the woman I'm staying with.”

Reyna stepped forward, eyebrow raised. “You're not staying with your parents, or family?”

Jason shook his head, scrolling through his phone to find Mellie's number. “No, my parents died a few years ago. I had been living with my aunt, but she wanted me to come look for some family down here. Didn't really know I had any, to be honest.” Jason hit dial. “Just one second.”

After a few rings, Mellie picked up. “Oh, Jason, I'm so sorry that I've been unavailable, sweetie!” He could hear the woman's heels clacking in the background. “I was just running to help some ladies at church with food. I can be back shortly. Have you found the place all right?”

“Um, not exactly, Ms. Mellie.” Jason noticed the three teenagers at his window perk up at the name. “I'm kind of lost, but I found some people willing to help. I wasn't sure if you were home or not. Would it be okay if I had them show me how to get there?”

“Of course, sugar!”

“Okay. Um, I guess I will see you when you get back from church.” Jason hung up the phone and let it drop into his lap. “Yeah, I guess I could still use that help.”

“You're staying with Ms. Mellie?” Annabeth smiled. “She's the secretary at the school. Really nice lady.”

“Pretty much the only one in the town,” Luke grumbled. Both girls smacked his arms.

Jason pursed his lips briefly. “I just don't want to trouble you. If you need to hurry to church, or-”

The three of them burst out laughing. “We don't go to church,” Reyna chuckled.

Luke grinned. “I'm sure everyone thinks we'd catch fire if we tried.” He placed his hands behind his head. “It's really no trouble, man. Hospitality is what we are famous for, right?”

Annabeth pulled out her phone and checked the time. “Um, you two can go ahead with him. I've got to run home. I promised Seaweed-Brain that I would help him with something.”

“I guess we'll catch you later.” Luke grinned and smacked the roof of Jason's car. “Come on, Reyna, you can sit in my lap. I know you've been wanting a piece of this since we were playing in the sandbox together.”

Reyna just rolled her eyes and followed Luke around to the other side of the car. After they were in, Annabeth waved at them as Jason pulled away from the curb. Luke opened his mouth, but Reyna placed a hand over it. “I don't trust you with directions.”

“It's like just a few blocks away!”

“No,” Reyna argued. “You will find a way to get him lost, I know it.” She smiled over at Jason. “Let me give you the quickest route.” Luke just grumbled and crossed his arms. “So, you're going to keep going straight, and then take a right at the second stop sign up ahead.”

Something definitely stood out to Jason as they drove through the town. Whenever they would pass someone, or even a group of people, Luke would kind of shrink back in his seat and Reyna would turn her face away from the window. It made Jason a little concerned, but he chose not to say anything about it. Was it really any of his business? He had just met these two.

Perhaps it was wrong, but Jason did keep an eye on Luke. That comment about stealing, while probably a joke, had bothered him a bit. It was just that mischievous look that always seemed to be on Luke's face. Did people around here normally offer to help complete strangers unpack?

It did not seem to go unnoticed by said blond, though. Luke turned towards him with a raised eyebrow. “So, why didn't your aunt come with you?”

“That's a very good question,” Jason replied with a sigh. “I don't know. She did not tell me much. I don't even think she knows if they are still here.”

“Maybe it's a good thing if they did leave,” Reyna whispered, her eyes lingering on the window as they passed by a small strip of stores. “At least you have someone to stay with.”

“Probably will still get loads of attention from the church ladies,” Luke added. Reyna gave a small nod. Something really seemed to be bothering her.

Jason made a face at that. Reyna pointed to a road up ahead and Jason turned down it. They seemed to be pulling away from stores and things, and were now in a more residential neighborhood. “At least you won't go hungry, and Mellie will get some free food out of it,” Reyna finally said. “It's just southern hospitality, don't worry about it. The food tends to always be good down this way.” Reyna didn't have to look at what street they were approaching. “Take a right.”

Jason's eyes drifted along a row of houses on his left. “So, what grade are you two in?”

“We'll both be seniors,” Luke answered.

That made Jason perk up a little. Maybe he could make friends with them and then he would not have to be alone tomorrow. “Yeah? I'll be a senior as well.” Maybe it was just fate that he met these two so soon. “I was kind of not looking forward to being the new kid.”

Luke smirked, though his eyes seemed a little stormy. “Well, I'd only recommend being seen with us if you're looking to commit social suicide.” Reyna gave him a small smack to the arm. Jason took notice of the fact that Luke was gripping his seat extra tight. “Your house will be the third one on the right. The small blue one with the little windmill.”

Reyna cleared her throat, running her fingers down her braid. “Jason, if you don't mind me asking, what happened to your parents?”

“Um,” Jason pressed his lips into a thin line briefly, “it's a long story. There was a shootout when we were getting back to our car from dinner. They didn't make it.” The blond cleared his throat. “My aunt—well, she's not my biological aunt—took care of me after that. She just felt it best that I be with my real family.”

“We're sorry,” Luke whispered. He didn't move when Jason parked the car.

Jason turned off his car, staring down at his lap. “Yeah...” Taking in a deep breath, he stepped out of the car.

Reyna motioned to the house. “Here we are. Home sweet home.”

It looked nice, Jason just did not look happy. He had learned to deal with what happened to his parents a while back, but now all of this kind of stirred up old emotions. Why had this family of his never tried to find him before? Why had his parents never spoken of them? Did they not get along? 

Jason's blue eyes finally looked up to really take in the house.

It was small, like Luke said. There was the small windmill in the front lawn, but it was barely spinning due to the lack of wind today. The grass was nice and tidy, with a small flowerbed on either side of the small walkway leading up to the front of the house. There was a few windows that had shutters. The entrance had a black iron door on the outside, and a newly painted wooden one on the inside. It probably did not have that many rooms, by the looks of things. Jason was not even sure how big his new room was supposed to be.

Luke placed his hands behind his head. “So, I do hope she left a key for you.”

“Oh, right.” Jason blinked for a second, trying to remember where his aunt Lupa had told him it would be. “I think it's supposed to be in the potted plant by the door.” Walking up the walkway, Jason dug around in the small potted fern. “Here we are.”

Luke and Reyna had already grabbed a box of their own by the time Jason opened the door. The living room looked nice and homey. There was a TV by the door, with a recliner directly across from it. A medium size couch was next to the recliner, a lamp separating them. There were a few pictures here and there, and Jason could sort of see the kitchen and dining area from the entrance.

Stepping aside, he let Luke and Reyna through, while he went to get a box as well. When Luke emerged from the house again, Jason noted that he was fingering a small chain around his neck. It looked like a medallion in his hand, but Jason failed to get a look at it before Luke slipped it back under his shirt.

“So, what is there to do for fun around here?” Jason asked after they had unloaded his car. It was safe to say that they were all covered in sweat from the heat. While the other two worked on opening a few of the boxes, Jason had stepped into the kitchen to find them something to drink. “It's a pretty small town.”

Reyna smiled and accepted a glass of water. “Depends on who you ask, really. You might...” She let out a sigh and shook her head, taking a sip of water. “Never mind. Just don't try to be a stranger.”

Jason went in search of his room, which was not hard to find. Down the hall from the living room, there were only four doors. One of those was a closet, the other was the bathroom. His bedroom was at the back of the house, across the hall from Mellie's. His room was not very big, but not too small. It was just slightly smaller than his old room at Lupa's house. It was, however, pretty barren. It did have a bed and dresser, and his own closet. That was something, at least. And a window, so he wouldn't feel like he was in a prison.

The three of them all moved Jason's things down to his bedroom, so that he could sort through everything. “At least you're not living alone,” Luke pointed out. “Ms. Mellie's a very nice lady, something hard to come across in this town.”

Reyna shot him a look. “Don't mind him.”

Jason plopped down on the floor and opened a box in front of him. “Church probably won't be out by the time we are done unpacking, will it?” The two shook their heads. “So, I don't suppose either of you know a great place to eat, do you? I'll probably be starving by the time we are done.”

Luke cracked a grin. “Don't worry, we've got you covered.” He shrugged. “I'd let you come over for lunch at my house, but my dad doesn't always like company.”

“Well, strangers,” Reyna added. She smiled briefly at Jason. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Jason smiled. “And thanks again for helping.”

Luke pulled back the lids on a box between his legs. “I could see if some of the others would be down for getting food. My brothers are probably finding some way to cause trouble, though.” Reyna just rolled his eyes. “And Nico said he wasn't feeling well all of a sudden.”

“Maybe we should check on him after lunch,” Reyna muttered, pulling out a few games that Jason had brought from home.

“You have brothers?” Jason asked as he sorted through a box of clothes. He tossed most of his shirts onto the bed.

“Yeah.” Luke cleared his throat. “The twins.” He made a small face. “I'm the oldest, lucky me.”

Reyna chuckled. “Luke doesn't like having to be the responsible one. Not that he's very good at it half the time. Usually, he lets his brothers rope him into something.”

“Hey!”

Jason tossed his shoes by the door. “And your parents?”

“Uh...” Luke cleared his throat. “My dad remarried. My mom's not exactly around anymore...”

Luke's demeanor had drastically changed. He no longer smiled or looked like some troublemaker. He kind of sat there for a moment in his own little world, clutching at the necklace beneath his shirt. Jason pursed his lips.

“I'm sorry, man,” he whispered.

Luke finally shook his head. “Don't worry about it.”

There was a heavy silence that followed that. Reyna made his bed for him, much to Jason's protest. Luke looked drained all of a sudden, barely putting any effort into sorting through the boxes he opened. Jason had not meant to upset the other blond. How long ago had he lost his mother?

Jason unpacked some of his trophies, placing them on his dresser. “Impressive,” Reyna stated and Jason smiled at her.

Luke finally spoke up again when he opened another box and pulled out a picture. He cocked his head to the side and turned it around, revealing a boy with dark blond, curly hair. His tan face was lightly freckled, and a small birthmark sat right between his eyes. He had a bit of an athletic build, with long legs. Though, the photo sort of failed to capture that last part.

Jason let out a short breath before he took the picture and placed it on his dresser. “That's my ex from back home.” Their breakup had not been pretty. Then again, Jason had a tendency to find himself in messy breakups. It was just... complicated. “I didn't even realize I brought it with me.”

Luke sort of gaped at him for a moment, eyebrows raised. Then, finally, he managed to blurt out, “Oh, so you're into dudes?”

Reyna promptly smacked him. “You don't have to answer that, Jason. It's none of his business.”

Jason blinked for a second, then laughed. “It's fine.” He quirked an eyebrow at Luke, though. “Is that a problem?”

Luke chuckled nervously and held up his hands defensively. “No, man. I'm cool with it. Just... surprised a little.” He gestured to the box of trophies and then to Jason. “Just with you looking like... well, you, I didn't really think... never mind.”

Reyna smiled at Jason. “We're not homophobic or anything. Well, most of the town probably is, but not us or the rest of our friends.” She nudged Luke with her foot. “Luke's not even straight himself, so he can't talk.” Said blond narrowed his eyes at her. “Probably another reason the town doesn't like us, several in our little group aren't exactly straight. Luke's bi, Nico's gay, Percy and Piper are pansexual. I could probably make a long list.”

“Of reasons why people around here don't like us,” Luke mumbled. Reyna smacked him again.

As they finished unpacking, Jason did notice that Luke shot him the occasional glance. But, whenever Jason looked over at the other blond, Luke quickly ducked his head. Jason frowned to himself. Why was he acting weird all of a sudden?

Reyna pulled out a notebook with a frown. While he was far from an artist, Jason did have a tendency to doodle a little when he was bored. The girl's lips tilted up into a smile as she turned the notebook around. “Is this supposed to be you, with a cape and a lightning bolt on your chest.”

Jason's cheeks turned very red. “Um, I was very bored in class that day.” He tried to take the notebook away, but Reyna just laughed and flipped more pages. “I like the thought of flying. I love planes and being up in the air. My dad used to take me up in some all the time.”

Shaking her head, Reyna snorted. “You're a lousy artist, though.”

“My stick people are very detailed,” Jason pouted.

Jason noticed that the girl had stopped on another page. She turned the notebook around again to reveal a silhouette of a boy standing under a tree with his arm placed up against the tree trunk. He always liked staring at that one, though he was never sure why. He hadn't even been paying attention when he drew it.

“This one isn't so bad,” Reyna said. Then she laughed and closed the notebook.

“Huh,” Luke said suddenly, drawing Jason's attention. The other blond had found his box full of books. He kept digging through them, like he expected to find something. “You don't have a bible?”

“No?” Jason cocked his head to the side. “Do I need one?”

Luke shook his head. “No, just surprised.” He cracked a grin up at Jason. “I'm sure some of the southern belles around here would just love to take you to church with them.” It was very obvious that Luke was hamming up his southern accent when he said that.

“Do they wear hoop skirts and carry fans?”

“No,” Reyna chuckled.

“And we don't call it the 'War of Northern Aggression',” Luke added.

Reyna rolled her eyes. “Will you stop with the accent?”

“I have one.”

“Barely,” Reyna pointed out. She did not really have one herself, as Jason noted.

Luke just grinned at Jason. “Do you just believe everything movies and stuff tell you about us?” He laughed when Jason blushed. “I bet you'd find it interesting to note that we have a friend that has the last name Beauregard.”

“Really?” Jason cocked an eyebrow. “Sounds like something out of the Civil War.

“They did fight in the war,” Reyna pointed out. Luke mumbled something under his breath, but Jason failed to catch it. Regardless, Reyna smacked him for it.

Luke pouted and rubbed his arm. “I'm going to have a bruise before the day is over.”

“Serves you right,” Reyna mumbled.

“You're rather interesting, though,” Luke said, his eyes trained on Jason. It made Jason shift a little. “You don't carry a bible, you seem to somewhat have a brain, and you're into dudes.”

Jason let out a sigh. “Is the fact that I like guys that big of a deal?”

Luke shook his head with a grin. “No, just find it interesting, that's all. And you are in good shape. Always a plus, I suppose.” Jason frowned when Luke mumbled the last part. Luke grinned up at him.

Was Luke hitting on him? Well, Luke was very attractive, but Jason was not sure he was actually attracted to the other blond.

After another ten minutes, the three of them had finally unpacked everything. Jason would have to find a place for everything later, but he just wanted something to eat right now. And his stomach agreed with him. Reyna and Luke laughed a bit as Jason's stomach betrayed him.

“I guess that's our cue to find lunch,” Luke chuckled, pulling out his phone. “Let me see if Annabeth and Percy want to meet us.” He got up off the floor and walked out into the hall.

Jason plopped down on his new bed. Reyna kind of paced around for a moment, taking in all of Jason's things. “You must have been pretty popular at your old school,” the girl mused. “You played sports, looks like you were class president, and you're pretty attractive.” She coughed and turned to face Jason, a slight blush on her cheeks. “Um, just an observation. Also that scar on your lip kind of adds a little something to your appeal.”

Blinking, Jason reached up and touched the tiny scar on his upper lip. He chuckled a bit and adjusted his glasses. “That's a long story involving a stapler.” He blushed a little when Reyna quirked an eyebrow at him. “I guess I thought one might taste good when I was a toddler.”

“Well, maybe we can cross brains off that list of Luke's.”

“Hey!” Jason laughed. “I make very good grades.”

“I bet,” Reyna smiled. She crossed her arms and went back to inspecting Jason's trophies, at least until Luke entered the room again.

“Annabeth said that her and Percy will meet us at the diner, but to go ahead and order food.”

Jason made sure to grab his phone and keys before he shut the door to Ms. Mellie's house. He unlocked his car, but Luke just chuckled.

“We can just walk, dude,” the other blond stated. “It's not that far, and a little exercise never hurt anyone.”

“Um...” Jason eyed his car for a second. “Are you sure?” He was just so used to driving everywhere. “What about school?”

Reyna shrugged, sliding her hands into the pockets of her shorts as they started to walk down the sidewalk. “Depends on you. The school really is not that far. I'd definitely drive when it gets colder, but walking is not out of the question with how far you live. We usually have to drive.”

“How far do you guys live?”

Luke nodded over to some woods across from them and down the road a bit. “A few miles down that way. Our families have lived there for years.” He grinned. “I guess it helps the people here sleep a little easier with us not so close by.”

It was hard for Jason to understand what all of this was about. Why did Luke keep joking about that? Why did they make it sound like the town disliked them? They seemed like nice people, at least the three that Jason had gotten to meet.

Well, at least Jason had made a few friends already.

Jason did notice that they got a few looks from all of the people they passed. It seemed like Luke and Reyna tried to ignore all of the stares, but it was also evident that it was bothering them from the way they tensed up. It only got worse as they headed back downtown.

Luke suddenly held up a hand for them to wait. Jason glanced at the other blond. He seemed nervous about something, his eyebrows knitted together. Reyna seemed to catch on as well, as the girl's lips pursed. Something was wrong.

A crowd had congregated outside one of the churches. “Come on,” Luke whispered, motioning for them to cross the street to avoid the people. Not quick enough.

A loud sob made them stop. “What is going on?” Jason asked.

Luke shook his head. “I don't know.”

From the crowd came a woman, sobbing erratically. When the crowd parted for her, Jason finally caught sight of what everyone had gathered there to see. He was not sure he was hungry anymore. He could not move, could not look away.

Hanging from the cross that sat outside the church they were passing by was a man, or what was left of one. His face was melted—actually melted—like candle wax. Boils, pustules, and burns covered every inch of exposed flesh on his body. The man's clothes were still smoking and had been burned severely. Jason could see where some of the man's nose was starting to sink lower on his face. His eyes were missing from their sockets, and his mouth hung open. And then the smell of sulfur finally hit his nose.

The crying woman fell backwards as she skidded to a halt. Her eyes were wide as she saw them. “They did this!” She cried out.

The crowd of church goers turned around. Angry looks quickly replaced their distraught ones. “They murdered the pastor!”

Reyna tried to nudge Jason to get him to move, but the blond couldn't budge. Luke stepped in front of them as the crowd of people began to shout in anger. Jason's eyes were blown wide. What the hell could have burned someone so badly, and in the middle of the day? He wanted to throw up from the smell of sulfur and burning flesh.

“Devil worshipers!”

“Satanists!”

“They're evil! They need to be run out of town!”

“Witches!”

This was insane. Had Jason stepped back in time, maybe taken a wrong turn to Salem? Did these people really believe the things they were shouting? Either way, Luke and Reyna looked ready to bolt. Jason finally got his legs to work, and the three ran as fast as they could from the scene. His head was spinning. His first day here and someone had been murdered.

What kind of fucked up place had his aunt sent him to?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is my fic reborn. I think the beginning is a good example to use when I talked about the rewrite. It's differently written, but ultimately the same. Yes, some parts might change completely later, but trust me when I say it was for the best. I got so much praise for this fic, and I never understood why. It was full of holes. Maybe they had not become apparent yet, or maybe nobody wanted to see them. But they were there. These changes are meant to fix those holes and to improve the story. I always liked this story, and it was one of my biggest regrets to discontinue it. Then I realized it would work better as Jasico, for many reasons. Not because it's my current favorite ship, like I'm sure many think is the case. The way I wrote Percy, which is where Jason's character is now for those of you that are new, was not in line with his canon personality. This Percy is going to be legit. He is going to be up to no good, trying to cause trouble with people like the Stolls.
> 
> Also, no spoilers from anyone that's returning from the old version. This is going to be a new experience for some people, so don't ruin it for them. That's all I ask. And one thing I don't want to see are comments about how the old version is better or you wish the pairing was still Percico. Not going to happen. Because if you really believed the old version was better, you missed what I said above. I've been trying to fix these for weeks now, throwing ideas at Carlee, and even she is just amazed at how flawed the old version was. It was not complete, it was not together. There were so many parts where I just threw something in with no real reason for it. I had no explanations for parts. Not to mention the old version turned into a huge ball of fluff. Is there going to be fluff? Yes, it's just going to be managed better. Because this story is now being made into what I originally envisioned. I let myself get caught up in things, but not this time. I'm sorry if that bothers some people, but I can't be happy with a story if it was turning into something I didn't want from it.
> 
> I came up with this story as a Halloween present a few years ago. It was meant to be dark, scary at parts. It did have darker aspects, but the fluff practically drowned out all sense of darkness. This was meant to be a twisted story. I'm simply making it what it was supposed to be. And I hope you all enjoy this new version, hopefully more than the poorly constructed version of the last one.


	2. Waiting an Entire Lifetime for One Singular Moment

By the time the alarm went off the next morning, Jason had already been up a good thirty minutes. His hand shot up from the floor to silence his phone. Taking in a deep breath, Jason placed his hands on either side of his head and brought his legs up to his chest before he did a kick up to get up from the floor. It was fairly common for him to exercise a little when he could not sleep. It was better than tossing and turning. Usually he went for a run, but he did not want to wake Ms. Mellie up. Not to mention it was pouring down rain.

Jason put on a shirt and headed out into the hall. As it turned out, Ms. Mellie had already gone to school, at least that was what she said in the note she left for Jason on the kitchen table. At least she had been nice enough to make him a big breakfast.

Yesterday had been... something.

After running from the church, the three of them made it to the diner. Not that they ate anything there. Luke had called Annabeth back on the way there. So, within five minutes of sitting in the diner, a blue car pulled up outside and Luke and Reyna climbed in. Annabeth tossed Jason a small wave from the passenger seat. He did not get that great of a view of the driver, since Jason could only see up to the guy's nose.

All he got to see was a wicked grin as the guy said something to Luke. He also had a leather bracelet on his wrist with a bronze coin that had a trident etched into it. The guy's clothes looked a little tattered and baggy, kind of like some of the guys at Jason's old school that liked to get into trouble.

The murder had been all over the local news the night before. Ms. Mellie had made him some hot chocolate after dinner to help his nerves. It was hard to describe how Jason felt, though. Maybe shaken up a little? He wondered how school was going to be today.

It was a mistake to turn the TV on this morning, as the only thing on local channels was still the murder. Last night, they had a broadcast of a bunch of people standing outside the church praying. There were a lot of signs. Most of them seemed to be about witches or demons, and it was not that hard to figure out who the town was directing it at. Maybe this was what Luke and Reyna meant yesterday about the town not liking them.

Sticking a piece of bacon in his mouth, Jason let out a sigh and glanced out the window. It was actually quite relaxing to sit and stare at rain hitting one of the wind chimes that Ms. Mellie had hanging outside. Also, for being a time when people were going to be on their way to work or getting ready to go to school, it was very quiet in the neighborhood.

Back home, he often had to get up extra early to make it through traffic, just to be able to make it to school on time. Ms. Mellie, however, had told him that he could sleep in as late as he wanted, as long as he gave himself enough time to get ready and be able to make the short drive to school. Quite different from home.

After he cleaned his plate of all traces of food, Jason grabbed himself a shower and put in his contacts, followed by putting on a fresh change of clothes. He made sure to grab his keys, wallet, backpack, and phone before he left the house. If it had not been raining, Jason might have actually tried to walk to see just how long it would really take. Then again, he also did not want to chance being late on his first day. Always make a good first impression, Aunt Lupa always told him.

As he passed in front of the school, Jason found the buses dropping a lot of students off. A few parents were doing the same with their kids, probably freshmen, who looked embarrassed as their mothers wished them luck on their first day.

Turning the corner, Jason found the student parking. It was not hard to find a spot, though. When he turned his car off, he sat there for a moment, wondering just how small his new school was. The school itself looked to be half the size of his old one, so he could only imagine the difference in the student body.

Jason got out of the car and headed towards the building. Well, buildings, technically. It was four buildings that formed an “X” shape. His choice in clothing must have not been the standard for around here, though. He definitely got a lot of stares, mostly from girls. He did kind of stand out from a lot of the guys that he passed. Most of them seemed to like worn baseball caps, and a lot even wore hiking boots. He wore a red polo and khaki shorts, and a messenger bag for his backpack. Jason also did not have facial hair. That was kind of frustrating for him when he was younger, now it seemed like a blessing. When he was younger, Jason viewed it as a sign that he was not man enough to grow facial hair. Now, it saved him several minutes in the morning.

He passed by the cafeteria on his way to the main office. The cafeteria had a lot of windows and almost as many columns. He also got more looks from students on the other side of the glass. Maybe it was because he was one of the few guys using an umbrella? Also one of the few in sandals. It might have sounded mean, but he looked a little better dressed than most of the other guys. Or a lot better. And maybe a little cleaner than some of the guys.

There was a flagpole in the center of the buildings, which had a large crowd of students gathered around it. He had noticed a local news van just up the road, but it looked like they were not allowed too close to the school itself. Somehow, Jason got the feeling that this prayer circle around the flag had to do with the murder yesterday. There were a lot of crying girls. Some students put flowers in front of a framed photo of a man, who Jason could only assume was the pastor that died.

It was at this moment that many of the students' cries of sorrow turned to anger. Jason followed the gazes around him and noticed several kids walking by. One of the girls, a Native American, seemed to ignore all the comments being thrown their way as she listened to some music. Next to her was Reyna, who walked straight through the angry students like she didn't even care. A tall Asian boy behind them, however, kept his head down and refused to make any eye contact.

Jason was so preoccupied with this that he ended up bumping into someone. A girl with long black hair drew back with a hiss. “Watch where you're going,” she growled.

She was quite pale, with dark eyes. Her nails were painted black and she wore black silk beneath her shirt, which reached down to her hand, her middle finger slid through a hole at the end of it. A small hooped bangle sat on her wrist, the emblem on it facing the ground.

Jason rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry,” he apologized.

The girl sneered before shoving by him. Jason turned to watch her walk off. The students quickly parted for her as she passed, like she might burn them if they made any contact with her. Someone needed to get off their high horse, Jason thought. Shaking his head, he headed for, what looked like, the main building.

The office was just to the right when he entered. The door was thick and took some effort to open. Ms. Mellie sat behind a small desk and was typing away at her computer. Her dark hair was kept up in a bun, which had a pencil sticking through it. Her glasses hung from a thin chain around her neck, which rested against her chest.

“Morning, Ms. Mellie,” the blond greeted her. She startled a bit, nearly falling out of her chair. Jason just chuckled as she made sure her hair was still in place. “Thank you for breakfast, by the way.”

She waved him off as she got up from the desk. “Think nothing of it. What kind of host would I be if I didn't put some food in that stomach of yours, sweetie.” She grabbed the pencil in her hair and pulled it out. “That reminds me. Before I forget, do you think you could run to the grocery store after school and pick up a few things?” From her purse, the woman pulled out some money. “Here you go.” She handed the money, along with a short list, to Jason. “Feel free to buy yourself anything you might want that I might not have stocked at home.”

“Thanks.” Jason pocketed the money and list in his wallet.

“Ah!” Ms. Mellie plucked another sheet of paper off of her desk. “I have your schedule and locker number right here. I meant to have it to you by the time you got here yesterday, but silly me forgot.” Her laughter reminded Jason of a pixie or perhaps an elf. “I tell you, I'd forget my own head if it weren't attached to my neck.”

Jason flashed her a smile as he scanned over his schedule. Ms. Mellie had sent a copy of the schedule to his aunt a week or two ago, but it only told him the subjects he would be taking. This had his classroom numbers, which he was quickly realizing he might need help locating some. These things had building numbers and halls within each of those buildings. Technically, his old school was probably much harder to navigate for someone new, but the blond had gotten used to it.

“Um...”

“Right, you need yourself a guide,” Ms. Mellie said, seemingly reading the lost look on his face. She waved across the desk. “Oh, Kinzie, could I borrow you for a moment?”

Jason turned to come face to face with a girl with auburn curls. She had some large hazel eyes and a smile so sweet that it would probably put honey to shame. Her shorts were cut off just above her knees, while her hair draped down her back.

Ms. Mellie smiled at her. “This here is our new student, Jason. Would you mind showing him to his locker, and maybe directing him to his first class?”

The girl named Kinzie smiled at the woman before nodding. “'Course, Ms. Mellie. I'm sure you're loaded down like my nephew in the toy store.” The girl was a head shorter than Jason, he noticed as they walked out of the office. “So where're you from?”

“California.”

“Wow, that's quite a ways from home. I can only imagine how different it must be. But I think you'll like our small town here.” She smiled and began to twirl her hair around her finger. With her other hand, she plucked the schedule from Jason's hand. “All right, it looks like your locker is upstairs.”

As they ascended the stairs, the students began to part in front of them. Kinzie came to a quick halt, stepping to the side as a tall Asian girl came walking down, flipping her hair over her shoulder. She was very pretty, like something straight out of a fashion magazine. Her heels made a loud noise with each step that she took, accompanied by the clatter of all of her jewelry. A piece of gum was blown from between her bright pink lips. Her eyes were a dark brown, focused on no one in particular.

Jason made a quick side step as she neared him, since she did not seem like she intended to move. Several students whispered as she walked by. Her eyes flickered over to Jason momentarily. The blond smiled awkwardly at her as she arched an eyebrow. The way she looked at him seemed like she was a little caught off-guard. Perhaps she was just not used to seeing a new face. Either way, Jason pushed gently on Kinzie's back to get her to move on. He heard the Asian girl behind him scoff, like he had personally offended her.

Jason glanced back down at the girl, who stuck her nose up and continued down the stairs. “Who was that?” He whispered to Kinzie.

“Oh, uh, that?” Kinzie pursed her lips as they reached the top of the stairs. “That's Drew Tanaka. But don't let that last name fool you, she's one of them Beauregards.” The auburn haired girl nodded. She looked like she had tasted something sour, just speaking the girl's name. “Her mother's a harlot.”

Did anyone even use that word anymore? Jason found himself looking down the stairs, even though Drew was long gone. He jogged to catch up to Kinzie. “What's so bad about them?”

Kinzie came to a stop. She looked around before leaning in. “She's from one of the families. We don't like them much around here. They're bad people, pray to the devil and everything. The worst are those di Angelos, demons they are.” She glanced around again. “You should stay clear of them, if you know what's good for you.”

“Um, thanks?”

Kinzie nodded her head towards a row of lockers. “Here's your locker.” She pressed her lips together and looked back down at Jason's schedule. “Now let's have a look at your classes.”

The blond studied the girl as she read it over. He had been raised to be nice, but he had also been raised not to stand for racism and prejudice. The way the town seemed to treat these people did not sit right with Jason. He could only assume that Luke, Annabeth, and Reyna belonged to these “families” that Kinzie spoke of.

“Well shucks.” Kinzie handed the slip of paper back to the blond with a smile. “Looks like we won't be having any classes together.” She bit down on her lip and motioned to the schedule as Jason pocketed it. “I saw you were trying out for the baseball team. Have they talked to you about that yet?”

“About what?”

“I'll take that as a no.” She smiled and adjusted the strap of her backpack. “We're lacking a little bit on funding, so you'll be required to play another sport if you want to do something that happens in the spring, like baseball.” She reached out and straightened out the sleeve of Jason's shirt. “I could see you fit nicely into a football jersey.”

Jason chuckled. Don't get him wrong, Kinzie was pretty, but Jason just didn't feel it. Perhaps it was some of the comments she had been making about Luke and the others. “Football was never really my thing.”

“Ah, well, I suppose there's always track?”

Making a slight face, Jason shrugged. “Didn't really want to play another sport. They don't let you do study hall if you're in a sport?”

Smiling, Kinzie shook her head. “'Fraid not, sugar.” She tilted her head to the side, causing her curls to bounce. “Don't look so down, like someone kicked your favorite puppy. They make the football boys play sports come spring. If it makes you feel any better, you do get a brief period of free time. A lot of the guys that play football choose basketball as their second sport, so they have most of the spring to goof off.”

“Damn.” He blinked when Kinzie's eyes widened a bit. “Um, sorry... Darn?” Did people not cuss down here? Maybe certain people? He felt so out of place. “So, uh, could you point me to Mrs. Nakamura's class?”

“Sure thing!” She tugged on Jason's arm and pulled them into the middle of the hallway. Unlike his old school, he found the halls far less crowded. It felt a little odd to him, not having people working to shove past him, now that he was standing in the middle of the hallway. It did not escape his notice how close Kinzie stood to him in order to point towards the classroom. “Just go down this hall and it'll be the last door on your left.”

Jason nodded. “Thanks.” He hiked the strap of his backpack up and got ready to head that way. “I guess I'll see you around.”

Not all that surprisingly, Kinzie tossed him a wink. “You can count on that.”

Right...

Jason cleared his throat and headed to his first class of the day. He was still not entirely used to getting some of the attention that he did. Puberty had blessed him greatly, according to his friends back home. Those same friends would also joke about him being the golden boy of the school. It was not his fault he was usually at the top of his class, ran for offices, lead the student council the previous year, and usually won awards for whatever competition that he decided to enter into.

Still, he was never that great at dating. Starting the relationship, anyways. Guys and girls that the blond dated in the past had all said he was a really great boyfriend, but often seemed distracted. Which was where the part where he sucked at dating came into play. Since he was rather oblivious at times, he typically failed to notice flirting until it became obvious.

Obvious like what he had just witnessed.

As he was heading down the hall, Jason happened upon another child from one of these families that Kinzie spoke of. It was another girl. Her cinnamon colored hair fell around her shoulders as she reached into her locker to deposit one of the many binders she was carrying in her arms, though the binder never made it.

It ended up getting smacked out of her hands by a laughing jock as he passed, cheerleader girlfriend cackling on his arm. Jason stopped and stared for a second. The other kids around the girl did not even bother to move to help her gather her things. There was some snickering in the hall, but for the most part it was dead silent. Kids held their breaths as they stared down at the girl, like she was going to murder all of them any moment.

The girl looked like she wouldn't hurt a fly. She just had one of those faces that screamed kind soul. Jason finally moved, stepping over to crouch down beside her. Picking up one of the binders, he held it in front of her face. “Here.”

She blinked up at him. The blond found himself taken aback by the color of her eyes. They almost looked like they could be gold. A golden hazel, perhaps? Her skin tone reminded him of a roasted coffee bean, and her eyes just as warm as the coffee it made. Her lips were pressed in a thin line as she accepted the binder from him.

“Thank you.” She stood up, looking Jason over. “You're new, aren't you?”

Her accent was... different. That was the best way for Jason to describe it. It was not the deep southern one that he had often heard from the people around here, yet it was not lacking like Luke's. Not quite Jamaican, yet there seemed to be a touch of it in there. Cajun, perhaps?

“Yeah, just moved to town,” Jason finally answered. He held out his hand. “I'm Jason.”

The girl slightly nodded her head. “I think you met my friends Luke, Annabeth, and Reyna.”

Jason chuckled. “Yeah. Luke and Reyna helped me unpack my things.”

She finally took Jason's hand. “Hazel. Hazel Levesque.”

“Sorry about those guys,” the blue-eyed boy mumbled.

Hazel shook her head. “It's not a big deal. I've gotten used to it.” Jason noticed she had a hard time looking at him while she said this. She brushed some hair behind her ear, which ended up causing the blond to take notice of the ring on her hand.

The girl held the binders tightly to her chest. Around her finger was a ring. The crest was black with a silver skull in it. Above the skull's head sat a crown. It was not the kind of emblem Jason would picture a happy-looking girl like this wearing. The skull was also not the ordinary kind that he would often see printed on alternative types of clothing. It looked very vivid, like something straight out of Dracula's castle.

Hazel seemed to take notice, as she fidgeted with it until the crest was no longer facing towards Jason. “Well, thanks again, I better be heading to class.”

“Yeah,” Jason nodded, “same.”

Jason frowned as Hazel disappeared into the crowd. Perhaps this was one of the reasons the people around here outcasted them like this? As far as he was aware, people in the south were supposed to react as such to things of a Gothic nature. But this was not Salem, and it was not the seventeenth century.

Jason stepped into his first class of the day: Calculus. The teacher was busy writing on the dry-erase board behind her desk. The classroom was relatively empty, about ten other students in the room. Jason found himself standing in the middle of the classroom, mouth slightly agape. In his last school, he barely could find a seat, and now he was in a class like this?

The teacher cleared her throat, placing the marker down. She turned to Jason. Her dark hair did not even reach her shoulders, curling all over the place. She was dressed in a deep red blouse and jeans, a white belt around her waist. A black jacket was draped over the back of her chair. Her face was slender, her cheekbones sticking out slightly.

“You must be the school's new arrival.” She snapped her fingers at him. “Well, let's see your schedule.” The class quieted down as Jason handed over his schedule, all eyes on him. The teacher quickly glanced at it before shoving it back in his direction. “Welcome to Calculus then, Mr. Grace. I'll be your teacher, Mrs. Nakamura, though some of my more... creative students,” she glanced at two of the boys in the class, “have taken to calling me Nemesis.”

The two boys paled and sank into their seats. Jason's brow furrowed, his eyes shifting from one side of the room to the other. He found that most of the students congregated to the right side of the room. He was starting to wonder why, until he took notice of a blonde head of hair.

Annabeth sat, head down, in her desk. Her eyes skimmed over the pages of her book. The girl's palm was placed on her cheek. She sat alone, save for a thin boy beside her.

Unlike Annabeth, the boy was watching him, though with the same bored expression that Annabeth was currently giving her book. His eyes were just as stormy and gray as the blonde next to him. His hair, while blond, was a dirtier color that the girl beside him. A leather bracelet was wrapped around his wrist, an ivory owl in the very center of it.

“Well,” Mrs. Nakamura waved her hand at the desks, “just take a seat wherever you like.”

Students were already attempting to motion him over by this point. It was so confusing with how some people here bullied the likes of Annabeth and her friends, then there were those that were scared out of their minds by their mere presence. Annabeth seemed to be paying more attention than she let on, as she rolled her eyes.

Jason, choosing to ignore the other kids, moved to sit down behind Annabeth. The teacher raised an eyebrow at him as he sat down, but chose not to say anything. This was stupid, and he was not going to be a part of this stupid way of thinking.

Annabeth turned her head ever so slightly. “Looks like Luke might have been right about you,” she whispered.

Jason smiled and focused his attention on Mrs. Nakamura. Leaning back in his seat, he tapped his pencil against his now open binder.

\-------------------------------

The sound of the bell was like angels singing in the heavens. Don't get him wrong, Jason liked school, it was just that he had covered most of this material last year at his old school. It was already worrying him a little that he might need to expect the same in all of his other classes. As he was packing up, the other blond boy turned to face Annabeth. “So, this is the new kid?”

Annabeth gave a nod. “See? He's not as bad as the other cavemen around here.”

The slender boy looked Jason over. Narrowing his eyes cautiously, he held out his hand for Jason. “Malcolm.”

The blue-eyed blond nodded. “Jason.”

Annabeth grabbed her backpack and stood up. “Malcolm's my cousin. Don't mind him, we just don't see many people willing to talk to us.”

“'Cause you're freaks,” someone called as they walked out the door.

Annabeth pressed her lips together, nodding her head. “And now you see why we didn't know what would happen when you started today. We don't have many new kids around here, but when we do, they usually end up believing the stupid tales that the rest of the town tells them.” The blonde rolled her eyes. “So we just try and stick together.”

Jason pressed his back to the wall when they stepped out into the hall. “Yeah, I think I encountered some of your friends this morning.” He rubbed at his arm with a frown. “There was one that was kind of scary.”

Letting out a chuckle, Annabeth nodded. “That was probably Medea di Angelo.” She shrugged and slowly walked forward. “Her cousins aren't so bad. Bianca and Hazel are actually really sweet.”

“I met Hazel before class.”

“Bianca's brother might freak you out a bit,” Malcolm said.

Annabeth elbowed him in the side. “Don't listen to him.” She came to a stop in front of a locker and opened it up. “Nico can be... an acquired taste. He's a bit defensive these days, tries to keep to himself. Even among us, Nico only opens up to a few, like Luke and Reyna.”

“What about this sexy devil named Luke?” Luke asked, appearing behind them. He grinned when Annabeth rolled her eyes. Chuckling, Luke turned to Jason. “Sorry about yesterday, man.”

“It's cool.” Jason shoved his hands into his pockets. “I figure I'd want to run as well, if the town looked like they wanted to lynch me.” Narrowing his eyes, Jason motioned to the three blondes in front of him. “You guys don't still do that around here, do you?”

It did not ease Jason's nerves when Annabeth and Luke just sort of looked at each other and tried to come up with a good answer to that. Malcolm ran a hand through his hair. “We have a few trees around town, more in the countryside, that have been used to hang people before.” He shrugged. “You know, it's modern times. This is 2015... Yes, they've been used recently.”

While Jason looked quite surprised, Annabeth rubbed her temple with a sigh. “There is this thing called subtly, Malcolm, might I suggest you use it?” Her cousin just shrugged. “It's... rare.” She pursed her lips as she shut her locker. “However, there has been one or two lynchings since we've been alive.”

“It's a long story,” Luke added. Annabeth nodded.

There was a long silence that followed, where Jason just kind of gaped at the three teenagers in front of him. Annabeth took in a breath. “Well, this is sufficiently awkward now. Was that the bell I heard? Better get to class. Come on, Malcolm.”

Luke chuckled and shook his head as Annabeth and Malcolm tried to leave. Before they could get very far, he grabbed the back of Annabeth's shirt. “Come on, we want to seem like appealing friends for the newcomer here.” He placed his hands behind his head. “The first day back at school always seems to be the most entertaining. First, Nico and Percy-”

“Wait, what?” Annabeth stopped him. “What about them?”

Luke just shrugged. “They were just talking at Nico's locker. Nothing to worry about. You know, they can get along... sometimes.” Annabeth did not seem that convinced. “Trust me, Bethie.”

“Don't call me that,” the blonde growled, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I trust Nico just fine, it's just that Seaweed Brain has a habit of saying the wrong thing. A lot.” She turned to Jason with a smile, touching his shoulder. “It was nice seeing you again, Jason. I'll see you tomorrow, I guess, if I don't see you before then.” Malcolm gave Jason a nod before he followed after his cousin.

Luke gave Jason a two fingered salute as he walked backwards after them. “Catch you later, man. Don't be a stranger. We don't bite... much.” He received a punch from Annabeth. He chuckled and turned around, tossing Jason a wave over his shoulder.

Was anyone in this town really normal?

When Jason went to turn around, he nearly bumped into three teenagers. The girls were cheerleaders, as they were wearing their uniforms, while the guy looked built enough to play football. He probably did, since he was absentmindedly tossing a football. However, it was the girls that actually stepped forward.

“So, we saw that you were talking with the Chases and the Castellan boy,” the first girl said. Her skin was a deep ebony color. The way she smiled at Jason did not sit right with him. Her curly hair bounced as she shifted her weight. “Since you're new, we'll help you out.”

“You should stay away from them,” chimed the second girl. Her eyes, while concerned, reminded Jason of ice, both in color and feel. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail. “My momma says their whole families are satanists.”

The first girl nodded, her face trying to reflect concern. She reached out to touch Jason's arm. “We're just trying to look out for you, since you don't know. Who knows what they might do to you, if you were go off with them somewhere, alone.”

The guy behind them finally nodded. “Witches, all of them. When that Beckendorf boy tried out for the team a few years ago and was denied, the entire team came down with the flu.” He leaned in closer. “They make things happen.”

The first girl rolled her eyes, shoving the guy back. “I'm Kelli, by the way. And this,” she motioned to the girl beside her, “is Tammi. And the guy back there is Dylan.”

Jason eyed all of them with his mouth open. “Um,” he blinked a few times, “thanks?” Kelli smiled at him. “I'll, um, keep an eye out.” He nodded before walking around them.

His next class was not hard to find. Since it was Home Economics, all he really had to do was follow his nose to the smell of cooking. The room was warm and smelled delicious. It reminded him of when he would come home from school and his mom would be making cookies.

“Welcome to Home Economics!” Jason nearly stumbled back as a platter of crescent rolls were shoved in his face. “Have a taste!”

Jason blinked down at the tray, slowly reaching out to pick up one of the offered rolls. He then nodded at who he assumed was his teacher. She was a middle-aged woman, her hair curled into a short perm. A bright green apron was tied around her waist. She watched Jason expectantly.

“Well?” Jason slowly raised it to his lips, where he let out a moan. The woman beamed. “Excellent!” She sat down the platter and dusted her hands off. “I don't think I've seen you around town before, so you must be the new student. Jason, was it?”

“Yes, ma'am.”

The woman rapidly nodded her head. “Good, good. I'll be your teacher for this period. You can just call me Ms. Stheno.” She turned and spread her arms out. A few students already there looked up. “Welcome to my dungeon- I mean cooking class.”

Nope, nobody here was normal.

Jason eyed her strangely as she laughed crazily. This class would be interesting at least, he supposed. Walking past her, Jason dropped his backpack beside the only empty station in the classroom. Several eyes watched him. The girl next to him had wide eyes. Jason just arched a brow at her as he sat down. Ms. Stheno looked at her watch.

Jason reached into his backpack for a pencil. The bell rang while he was digging through it. It was sudden, but his head spun briefly. “Ah, there you are, Mr. di Angelo,” Ms. Stheno said, though Jason was still busy with his backpack. “It looks like you'll have a station partner this year after all.” Jason pulled a pencil and his binder out of his bag, depositing it onto the counter in front of him. He looked up and froze.

It was the boy in black from yesterday. He was still in the jacket, his hands in his pockets. His backpack—it was black, go figure—hung from his left shoulder. His jeans were dark and his shoes were slightly tattered and scuffed. The boy's lips were a pale shade of pink, matching the pale color of the boy's skin. Dark circles had formed under the boy's dark brown eyes, which was partially covered by messy black hair.

The room was as quiet as a graveyard as the boy moved to sit down next to Jason. Their eyes connected for a moment and the boy just sort of stopped. A warmth flowed through Jason, while it felt like his stomach dropped. The smell of peppermint hit Jason's nose as soon as the boy was seated. He began drumming his fingers on the table, averting his eyes from Jason the second he was seated. There, on the boy's finger, was a similar ring to the one Hazel had been wearing. The band was pure silver, shined to perfection. And on top of it sat the exact emblem that had been on the one Hazel wore.

When Jason faced the front of the class again, he found Ms. Stheno frantically searching her desk. “Oh my, it seems I've left the syllabus down in the office.” She held her hands up in front of her. “I'll be right back, everyone behave yourselves.”

As if they had a mind of their own, Jason's blue eyes wandered back to the boy next to him. He nearly jumped when those dark eyes snapped over to him. His face was now red as he looked down at his binder. This must have been the boy that Annabeth mentioned. Nico, was it?

It was not long after the teacher had left that the girl that was beside Jason stood up from her station. She marched to the front of where the boy in black sat and placed her hands on the surface. She was a very pretty girl, with a stern looking face. Her long black hair fell around her face while she was hunched over.

“Everyone else may be afraid of you, but I'm not going to be intimidated like they are. You and the rest of your families are an abomination against the Lord. And I pray, every night, that you don't go straight to hell for your wickedness.”

The boy continued to drum his fingers as he stared at the girl with a dull, and slightly annoyed, expression. The room was silent, everyone watching the girl and boy stare off with each other. But, in the end, it was the girl who cracked first. She swallowed a small lump in her throat as he continued to stare with his disconcertingly bored expression.

“At least I'll be rid of you and the rest of this town,” the boy said quietly. His voice was soft and calm, and completely without a hint of a southern accent. The girl shifted, moving back from the table. It seemed odd to Jason, watching this girl become uncomfortable with this boy that was not even doing anything.

“I hope you burn!” She shrieked, jerking away. “I know it was one of your wretched family members!”

The boy did not respond to her accusation right away. His eyes dulled and became unfocused as he looked down. But the girl did not budge from her spot. Seeing this, the boy let out a sigh and shook his head. “I'm sorry, Khione, I don't know what you're talking about.”

Khione pursed her lips, glaring at the boy. She huffed before storming back to her seat. Jason glanced at the boy from the corner of his eye. With a quick turn of the head, the black haired boy next to him glared at Jason.

“Uh,” the blond fumbled. His mouth opened and closed a few times, trying to find some words. “I'm Jason. You're friends with Luke and Reyna, right?”

“Nico,” the boy mumbled, looking down at the table in front of him.

“I'm the new kid.” Nico did not respond. “They, um, helped me out yesterday. Luke and Reyna that is.”

Nico gave a small nod. “Good for you.”

Jason swallowed. This was going so well, he thought. He found himself staring at the boy next to him. Nico was somehow fascinating to stare at. He wanted to stare forever but that would be weird. The boy was slender and around average height. And now, looking closer, Jason could see a hint of sadness in the boy's dark eyes.

“So, I think I saw you yesterday. We could've, um, met already.” Jason cringed a little. He sounded like an idiot. Nico spared him a dull, brief glance from the corner of his eye. He was not sure why he felt compelled to talk to the boy. “So, um, since we'll be partners-”

“Look,” Nico turned to face Jason, “we might be stuck together for the rest of the year, but that doesn't mean you have to talk to me.” He looked almost angry suddenly, clenching his fist on the table. Nico's dark eyes slowly drifted away from Jason. “I don't know you and you don't know me, so let's keep it that way. I'm not Luke, I don't care about making new friends.” His lips pursed. “So just do your part of the work and we'll get along great.”

Jason frowned and faced towards the front of the room. Well that was just rude. How did Luke get along with this kid?

Jason was going to respond to that, but the teacher chose to come back at that moment. “Here we are!” She announced, waving a stack of papers around. She dropped two on each table, slowly making her way around the classroom.

Neither of them seemed to pay attention, but Nico and Jason both reached out for a copy of the syllabus at the same time. There was a brief pulse in that split second that they touched. A deep thump that Jason could almost feel inside himself. Almost like...

Almost like a heartbeat.

Nico jerked his hand away. He scowled at Jason and shoved the extra syllabus towards the blond. Jason felt a little ill. It was like something jabbed straight through him. There was a strange tightness in his chest now.

Through the remainder of the class, Jason found himself stealing glances at the boy next to him. The boy's frame was so small; Jason was probably capable of easily tossing Nico over his shoulder. And his skin was so pale, like death itself. The black coloring of Nico's hair only made the boy's face stick out more, like porcelain. He fiddled with his ring a lot, or so Jason noticed. Absentmindedly, it seemed. Using his other hand, Nico would often chew on his thumb nail.

But he kept his attention on the teacher the entire time. Jason could imagine that it was not easy for any of the children from these families to come to a school like this, where they were persecuted on a daily basis.

It was towards the end of the class when Jason started to notice that Nico looked a lot paler than when he first entered the class. Nico almost reminded Jason of the times he would look into the mirror and see how pale he looked. The raven haired boy swayed slightly every now and then, and it almost looked like the dark hair might stick to his forehead. Was he sick?

When the bell rang, most kids shot to their feet, but Nico remained in his seat, with little intent on moving. Jason eyed him as he packed his things up. When Nico nearly fell out of his chair, Jason reached forward, but Nico smacked his hand away. “I'm fine,” Nico mumbled.

“You don't look fine.” Jason zipped his bag. “Do you want me to help you to the nurse's office?”

Nico grabbed his bag and slid it onto his shoulder. “I said I'm fine. I don't need your help.” Barely getting that out of his mouth, the slender boy nearly tripped over a chair. “Fuck,” he hissed.

“Mr. di Angelo,” Ms. Stheno warned, shooting him a look.

Nico rolled his eyes. He turned back to Jason, giving the blue-eyed boy an odd look. Jason stood up and walked after him the second Nico began heading for the door. In the doorway, Nico stopped, pressing a hand to Jason's chest, only to recoil as if he were burned.

“I really don't need a knight in shining armor, or whatever you're trying to be. I don't know what game you're trying to play, but I really just prefer to be on my own.” Nico clicked his tongue. “So just back off and we can get along great.”

“But I thought you liked our time together?” Nico let out a sigh as Luke's arm was slipped around his shoulders. Nico glared up at the tall blond. Said blond grinned at Jason. “So I see you've met Nico, our resident shut in.” Nico elbowed Luke, making the blond grab his stomach. “You're so abusive to me.”

Nico grunted as he walked off. “I thought you liked it rough?”

Luke smiled at Jason. “Your day going well?” He nodded towards the retreating form of Nico. “Hope he didn't bother you too much. He's... an acquired taste.”

“I heard that, asshole!”

Luke cringed. “Well,” he smirked and tossed Jason a wave, “I'll catch you later, man. Feel free to sit with us at lunch, if you find yourself lonely.”

“Or if you want your reputation killed.” A raven haired boy with tan skin skidded to a halt directly in front of them. “What's up, Luke?” He raised a hand and Luke gave him a high-five. A mischievous smirk spread across his lips as his sea-green eyes found Jason. “You must be the new kid.”

“Jackson!” A teacher yelled down the hall.

“Gotta go!” The strange boy yelped with wide eyes. He motioned down the hall. “Nico went this way?” Luke nodded. “See ya!”

And, like that, he was gone. The angry teacher went running by, completely drenched from head to toe. Luke let out a sigh, smiling a little. “That was Percy, by the way.” Luke shrugged. “He was the one that picked us up yesterday. He's cool, though he and my brothers have knack for getting sent to detention.”

“I thought Reyna said you cause trouble as well?”

“Oh, I do,” Luke laughed. “I just don't get caught. There's a difference.”

Jason arched a brow and motioned with his thumb in the direction that both raven haired boys had gone. “Didn't Annabeth say they didn't get along.”

“Ah.” Luke scratched his cheek. “They are actually pretty good friends, it's just that they are a bit complicated.” He cleared his throat. “Now that you mention it, though, I might wanna go see if I can find them.” He tossed a wave in Jason's direction. “See you later, man.”

\--------------------------

When Jason finished getting through the lunch line, he found himself staring around the cafeteria. When he noticed movement, he turned his head to find Kinzie waving him over. Shrugging, he walked over to the girl's table. Sitting down, he found himself between the smiling girl and a tall and slender blond boy.

The blond turned to look at him as he sat down. He had a pair of bright blue eyes and pale skin. His hair reached to his eyebrows, looking neatly styled. His clothes were clean and nice, and an expensive phone sat beside his tray. His stare bothered Jason the most. It felt judgmental, like he was doing his best to find everything wrong with Jason.

Apparently he passed the blond's test, as the boy just shrugged and went back to his food. Jason blinked and turned to Kinzie. “Hi,” he said with a smile.

Kinzie smiled back at him. “Hello again. Having a nice day?” Jason shrugged. Kinzie pursed her lips as she poked at her corn. “So, word is you've been seen around some of those kids.”

“They're really no good,” the blond kid mumbled on Jason's other side.

Jason turned to glance at him. Kinzie nodded. “Octavian's right, they are trouble. You'd do well to avoid them.”

The boy called Octavian nodded towards Jason. “You're the new kid, then?” Jason slightly nodded. “Well, just looking out for you here, but if you continue hanging around that bunch, you might end up having your throat cut in some ungodly sacrifice.”

A boy with light brown hair across the table let out a sigh, which made Octavian glare at him. “I sometimes wonder if you believe such nonsense, Octavian,” the boy said, shoving a piece of broccoli into his mouth. He flashed a bright smile at Jason and held out his hand. “I'm Eros.”

“And I'm Lacy,” a short girl next to him piped up.

Kinzie had her mouth pressed in a thin line. “Eros here is a little too sympathetic about things. Too nice for his own good.” Eros rolled his green eyes and ran a hand through some of his curls. “I know that the bible says to love thy neighbor, but must you really be so nice to them? They are satanists, after all.”

The blonde girl next to Eros, Lacy, pushed her glasses up her nose. “Technically, we've never had any real proof that they've done anything.”

“Not you too, Lacy,” Octavian sighed.

The girl shrugged. “I didn't say anything.” She took a sip of her drink. “My dad used to tell me that they danced naked around fires in the wood. Yet nobody has actually gone and seen them.” She gave a light shrug. “I can't say for certain, I haven't really seen anything. Maybe they murdered the pastor, maybe they didn't.”

Octavian lowered his head, like he was praying. Probably was. Eros just shook his head. “They aren't as bad as everyone makes them out to be. I've talked to them a few times. Luke was very nice last year in our history class.”

“Probably trying to lower your guard, so that he can sacrifice you,” Octavian said, not bothering to raise his head from where he was praying.

Kinzie leaned forward, her voice low. “Strange things were said to happen when they first moved here.”

“And when was that?” Jason inquired.

Kinzie pulled back. She did not really seem to have an answer. “Well... Um, it's been a while. I don't actually know, to be honest.” She shook her head, sending her curls flying. “But my granny said a lot of weird things happened in the past. “Like Khione's dad disappearing.”

“Or the bus of basketball players swerving into a ditch on the way to a game,” Octavian added.

Jason let himself fade out of the conversation for a while. He stared down at his food, quietly poking his meatloaf with his fork. The lunchroom quieted down around him, and when he looked up, he found several kids moving to sit at an empty table. Among them were Luke and Nico.

A girl of average height took the seat beside Nico, though the boy was busy talking with Luke on the other side. Like Nico, she bore the same dark brown eyes, though they did not look anywhere near as exhausted. Her silky black hair flowed down from under a floppy green hat that rested on top of her head. Her skin was a darker olive color than that of the boy next to her, but they still looked quite similar. She looked healthier.

Jason was going to assume this girl was Nico's sister, Bianca, that Annabeth had mentioned earlier. She nudged Nico, drawing the boy's attention. Bianca simply nodded at his tray, whispering something to the boy. Nico's brow furrowed as he quietly replied, now looking even more tired than he had earlier. Whatever he had said managed drawing Luke in on it, as the blond ended up putting some of his fries on Nico's tray. Nico let out a breath, slumping in his seat.

Jason quickly looked away when Nico's eyes shot up to look at him. He could feel the color rising in his cheeks as he stared down at his food. Kinzie nudged him with a raised eyebrow. When Jason looked up, she followed his gaze.

Kinzie pursed her lips, shaking her head. “That one's severe trouble. That's Nico di Angelo.”

Jason chewed on a fry. “We have Home Ec together.”

Lacy turned her head slightly to look at the dark haired boy behind her. “He's a little weird.” She glanced around her table before leaning in to look at Jason. “I've seen him talking to himself a lot, like carrying on conversations with thin air.” She nodded her head. “He's demented, or something.”

Octavian nodded his agreement. “And he's always so quiet. Creepy kid.” Jason stared at him as he made a face, like he tasted something foul. “And he's homosexual.”

Reyna had mentioned that part yesterday. He really should not be surprised to hear people around here talk down on something like homosexuality. Jason silently wondered how they might react if they knew he was bisexual. Probably not well. He'd store that away for later, if he ever needed to get a girl to leave him alone.

Kinzie nodded. “He is. I mean, look at that.” She nodded towards Nico. Jason glanced over. Luke was leaning in, whispering something to the boy. Nico rolled his eyes at the blond. Luke smiled and pulled Nico in, allowing Nico to rest his head on the blond's shoulder and putting his arm around the slender boy. “They're together, it's obvious. He's just damned to hell.”

“Tammi said she saw Percy sucking on Nico's neck last year,” Lacy said quietly.

“Isn't he dating Annabeth?” Asked Eros.

Lacy shrugged. “They seem to stay on and off again. Maybe they like cheating. I don't know.”

Octavian frowned. “They probably have orgies, or something. See how sinful they are?”

Offering a small smile, Jason stood up. “I'll see you guys later, I'm not really hungry anymore.” Kinzie stared at him like she wanted say something, but let him go. He missed home, but he doubted his aunt was going to let him just come back, especially so soon.

The rest of Jason's day passed by within the blink of an eye. His last period had been tryouts for baseball. He was hoping he would make the team, just so he could have some sport to participate in for the year. Not to mention he would have to rework his schedule if he did not make it. Then again, if he made the team, he'd have to tryout for another team, according to both the coach and Kinzie.

He had made a few inquires over the course of the day, trying to see if anyone knew of any family he might have. “No Graces around here,” was pretty much the standard response. Things were not looking so great on that front.

The drive home was relatively quiet. Jason kept his windows down and radio off. It was very quiet, a huge change from his old life. He could easily hear conversations that were going on as he drove by. The birds chirped happily in the trees, the sun still hanging on the horizon.

It was very odd, being in a place like this. There was so much open space. He was beginning to see why they did not build their buildings so tall, there was just no need. The town could easily space itself out, giving everyone in it their room.

He glanced at his phone, which was sitting in his lap. Part of him wondered if he should have gotten some numbers while at school today. It was going to get very boring and lonely at home, but at least there was Ms. Mellie to keep him company. Still, it might be a good idea to have a way of contacting people.

After driving by a small park and an abandoned looking railroad, Jason stumbled upon a grocery store. It was not very big, and did not even have that many people parked outside. There were not even any shopping carts sitting outside, waiting to be put back. Jason's brow furrowed as he stepped out of his car. As he walked towards the door, he observed an elderly man finishing up unloading his shopping cart.

When he was finished, the man slowly pushed the shopping cart back into the store as Jason entered, where he placed it back with the other ones. Jason slowly pulled one of the other ones out, standing there in confusion for a second. People actually took the time to return shopping carts back to their original spot here?

After picking out a few snacks for himself, Jason went to find some bread. There was a lot. Some of the employees were even making some in the back. Did it really matter what kind he got? Shrugging, Jason just picked up a loaf and put it in his cart.

“Oh dear. You know that wheat bread is healthier for you, sweetie?”

Jason was sort of surprised when a loaf of wheat bread was put in his face. He turned his head to find a motherly looking woman staring at him with a pair of bright brown eyes. Her black hair had been tied back in a large bun, while the rest of her hair looked a little frazzled. She wore a wheat colored dress, which was accompanied by a thin fleece jacket resting on her shoulders. A golden sun necklace with an odd symbol hung around her neck. Jason furrowed his brow, trying to get a better look at it, but the woman adjusted her jacket to hide it.

“Um, what?” Jason blinked.

“You must be the new boy in town.” The woman, who had been standing nearby, held the bread a little higher. “I don't believe I've seen you before, so I would only assume.”

Jason blinked at how fast the woman talked. Her voice reminded him of an old school nanny, very punctual and articulate. She also seemed to drag out some of her words at the end of her sentences. “Uh, yeah, that would be me. Jason Grace, and I just moved here from California.”

She shook his hand with the one that was not currently holding the bread. “My, you are the tall one.” She squeezed his hand tightly. “And such a firm grip.” She held his arm out, surprising Jason. “You do look the image of healthiness, though I can't imagine how when you have things like that.” She was staring quite pointedly at Jason's shopping cart.

“Uh...”

Before Jason could properly respond, the woman was already poking through his cart. “Dear me, do you always eat so unhealthily? You're going to regret these chips when your metabolism slows down and you get a belly on you.” She slipped out the bread Jason had picked up and replaced it with the wheat bread. “That's better.” She frowned. “No cereal? One can never have too much fiber, you know.”

It might have been clear to say that Jason was a little freaked out. “I mean, I workout.” Did he really have to explain his eating choices to a stranger. A stranger that was looking over all of his snacks. “My meals are usually healthy.”

She tutted under her breath. “I suppose that will have to do.” Looking up at Jason's face, she finally noticed his disturbed expression. “Oh, goodness me, where are my manners?” She said as she held her face. “You can call me Demeter.” Jason just smiled awkwardly. “I just like to think that one can never be too concerned about their health.”

He smiled politely. “Ms. Mellie is taking care of my meals.”

The woman patted the back of her hair. “Well, perhaps I'll make a dish or two to help her out.” She laced her hands together under her chin. “And, just so you know, you're always welcome to come have a meal with me and my family. My grandchildren are around your age, I'm sure they would be happy to keep you entertained.”

Jason, standing there with wide eyes, could not find any words to respond with. He was definitely going to make sure that Ms. Mellie locked her doors at night. “That's really unnecessary.”

She simply waved him off. “I'll have none of that, young man. A growing boy needs to eat properly, and I will most certainly not be one to sit by and let a poor child starve. Not on my watch.”

“You-” But she was already pushing her cart off. Jason groaned and hung his head. “You really don't need to do that,” the blond mumbled to himself, letting out a sigh. Blowing out a breath, Jason eyed the wheat bread she had given him for a moment. Might as well use it, he thought to himself.

After he finished with his shopping, Jason found himself behind another motherly looking woman, similarly dressed to Demeter. Though, this woman looked much more stern than Demeter had, and quite a few more wrinkles on her face. A wide brimmed, weaved hat rested on top of her head as she handed the cashier her money.

The young woman behind the register smiled and handed back the woman's change. “Thank you, Mrs. Dodds. Come back and see us soon, and I hope you have a nice day.”

The woman that had been called Mrs. Dodds pocketed her money with a weak smile. “Thank you, sweetie. God bless.” She glanced behind her before moving to push her buggy, but ended up doing a double take. She now stood, staring, at Jason as he placed his items on the checkout conveyor belt. “I don't believe I've seen you in town before.”

“Um, no, I just moved here.” Jason continued to pick up his items from the shopping cart. “It seems like people have been noticing that a lot since I got here.”

The woman touched the back of her hair below her hat. “Well, I do happen to know all the town's residents, and I know I've never seen you around before.” She glanced him over. “You got a church yet?”

“Uh, no.” Jason shook his head. “I'm just settling in.” For some reason, he was getting the impression that it was not the best idea to mention to this woman that he had no intention of attending any church in the area. He had never been to one, and he never really planned on breaking that trend.

The woman eyed him with a narrowed gaze. “Well, if you ever find yourself in the need of a church home, you can come to Aimes Baptist Church. It's in the center of town, can't miss it.”

Jason nodded, trying to keep his best smile up. The woman walked away, her heals clacking on the floor, leaving Jason with a feeling of relief. He pulled out the money Ms. Mellie had given him, while his groceries were bagged for him. Grabbing his receipt, he grabbed all of his bags and headed for the exit.

As he was placing the bags into his car, he heard a jar break. He glanced around until he found the source. Demeter was crouched down beside her car, picking up some of her groceries that must have broken through the bag. A jar of olives had been the source of the noise.

Mrs. Dodds stood nearby, watching the entire thing, but all she seemed to be willing to do was stick her nose up. “A little reminder from our Lord that you walk in darkness, Mrs. Gardner.”

Demeter pursed her lips and worked on picking up the broken shards by her feet. Jason frowned and shut his car door. Without thinking, he began moving towards the scene. Demeter froze when he crouched down in front of her. Mrs. Dodds placed her hand on her chest at witnessing this.

Jason silently picked up each piece of glass and placed the shards in one hand. With his other hand, he helped the woman stand to her feet. “Are you okay?”

Demeter cleared her throat before nodding. “Yes, yes. Thank you, Jason.” She smiled weakly at him before opening the driver side door. “I think I'll bake you a batch of cookies.”

Jason smiled back at her. “That's really not necessary, but thank you.” He nodded at her as she slipped into the driver seat and closed the door. Letting out a sigh, he walked to the side of the store and dumped the glass shards in the garbage.

When he got back to his car, he found Mrs. Dodds waiting on him. “It seems we've acquired ourselves a gentleman.”

Jason rested a hand on top of his car. “I was just raised to be polite.” He finally let his smile falter, not breaking eye contact with the woman. “It didn't really look like anyone else was going to help her.”

Mrs. Dodds cleared her throat and adjusted her blouse. “Jason, was it?” The blue-eyed boy nodded. “You see, we have some... not very nice people in this town. And, well, it's just that Mrs. Gardner is one of those people.” Her hands laced together in front of her. “We've tried getting them to change, really we have, but they are so corrupt with their wickedness.”

It felt more like Jason was currently staring at one of the wicked people in this town.

Jason nodded his head, lips tightly pursed. “Well, I met some of those kids at school today, and they just seemed like they were being bullied. And that doesn't really seem right to me, or the Christian thing to do.”

That seemed to offend the woman. She stepped back as he opened his car, placing her hand on her chest with her mouth agape. “Don't let them turn you from the path of the Lord, child.” She took a second to eye his car while he climbed into it. “Why are you grocery shopping anyways? Where's your mother?”

“I'm staying with Ms. Mellie.”

“Well where are your parents?”

“They're dead.” Jason did not wait for a response. Instead, he shut his door and cranked the car. Mrs. Dodds jumped back as he pulled out of his parking spot. This town, while full of seemingly nice people, was also full of racists, bigots, and insufferable people.

All the way home, Jason could not get the day's events off his mind. Even as he unloaded all of his groceries, all he could do was replay the events from the day. During that time, Jason came to one decision. He had made up his mind on this, and his fate was going to be sealed for this town.

Those kids deserved someone different, someone who would not shun them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter turned out so long. Sorry, not sorry? See, Percy is more like he should be, up to no good. He will pop up more frequently than Jason did in the original version. Which, as a reminder, no spoilers in the comments. And I got to introduce Eros early, since I swapped Reyna to a different role in this version. There is something very funny about Octavian and Eros and their friendship, but you'll understand later. That being said, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Expect another one fairly soon. I plan on doing another update before I get back to work on my book. What I'm planning on doing is: Work on my book, update Mark of an Assassin, possibly work briefly on book, if not then work on House of the Wicked for a chapter or two, then back to book. So maybe that can help you know when to expect an update.
> 
> Also, follow me on tumblr, if you haven't yet. http://xsonofhadesx.tumblr.com/
> 
> They just introduced instant messaging, so feel free to shoot me a message if you have an account. If you don't, feel free to leave me an anon message in my ask box. On a final note, I really like what's been worked out for this new version of the story. Down the road, I will go back and point out a lot of the flaws and plot holes that were in the old version, but I can't right now. Because spoilers. Some people had asked, so I thought I'd oblige them when I could.


	3. Cold As Death

It was not very common that a container full of giant brownies was dropped in front of Jason first thing in the morning. Actually, it had probably never happened, but he was also not going to object to it becoming a normal thing. Brownies just so happened to be Jason's favorite snack. It was probably a miracle that he still had abs—or that his teeth had not all gotten cavities—with how much he would eat them.

However, when he glanced up from the table he was sitting at in the cafeteria to find Nico looking down at him with an emotionless stare, the blond had to reconsider things.

Jason's blue eyes blinked as he glanced between the skinny boy and the fresh brownies. “Um, thank you?” He tilted his head to the side, peeling back the lid. They smelled amazing.

Luke, who stood behind Nico, chuckled and elbowed Nico in the back. Nico huffed and rolled his eyes. “I was told to give those to you,” the brown-eyed boy mumbled.

Jason's brow furrowed as he stared at Nico in confusion. Luke wrapped an arm around Nico and pulled the boy against his chest. “Nico's grandmother is Demeter.”

“Step-grandmother,” Nico mumbled, crossing his arms and looking away.

Luke shrugged. “Either way, she wouldn't let Nico leave until he promised to hand those to you.” He smirked. “And made him promise to be polite.”

It was then that Jason noticed Nico's eye twitch. Luke made a small squeaking noise before pursing his lips. Jason arched a brow, shifting his gaze. Nico had sunk his nails into the arm Luke had put around him. The blue-eyed boy quickly looked down and opened the container, pulling out a brownie and stuffing it into his mouth.

So good. It was like his taste buds simply exploded. “These are delicious.” He chewed a little more. “But I thought she said she was going to make cookies?”

Clearing his throat, Nico looked up at Luke. “Don't know. She said that you might like those better.”

“Demeter does a lot of cooking,” Luke added. “For all of our families, really. When we all eat together, she makes large feasts.” He motioned to Jason. “I'm sure she'd be fine with you joining us.” That got him kicked in the shin by Nico. “Don't be like that.” Smiling, Luke ran his fingers through Nico's hair.

Nico rolled his eyes, but did not seem all that bothered by the action. Was it just Jason, or did Nico seem a lot less irritable when Luke was around? Maybe Kinzie and her friends had been right yesterday.

Jason nodded, still chewing on his brownie. “So, you guys have known each other for a long time?”

Nico did not seem amused, but Luke was not about to let him say anything to ruin the conversation. As soon as the pale boy opened his mouth, the blond slapped a hand over it. “Our whole lives. Nico and I were practically raised together.” He tilted Nico's head back to smile down at the boy, who crossed his arms and glared. “I guess that's why we're so close.”

With a huff, Nico jerked away from Luke. “I don't know why you persist on trying to befriend him so much. You know it won't work out.” He shoved his hands into an aviator jacket he had worn to school today and walked off.

A soft sigh escaped Luke's mouth. “Sorry about him.” He let a warm smile spread across his lips. “He's really a lot friendlier when you get to know him. We're still trying to work on his people skills.” Jason chuckled at that. “I have tried talking to him, but all of the people around here have sort of made him distant.” Luke pulled out a chair and turned it around before he sat down across from Jason. “I told him you were different, but he's skeptical.”

Jason nodded, pushing the brownie container to the side. “I guess I can't blame him. Still, if it's all right with you guys, I wouldn't mind hanging sometime, or something.” The blond boy adjusted his glasses. “It kind of gets boring when I'm just sitting at my apartment all day. Not that Ms. Mellie isn't great, I'd just like to spend time with people my own age.”

“I bet.” Luke smiled. “I'm sure we can figure something out.” He drummed his fingers on the table before leaning back. “Wow, I never thought I'd get an offer to spend time with someone outside the- Err, outside of our families.” The blond pulled out a small piece of paper that looked like a receipt and scribbled something down. “There's my number, call me anytime you want.”

Reaching out, Jason slid the paper over to himself and glanced at the number on it before nodding. “Thanks. I, um, hope I can convince the rest of you that I'm not a bigot.” The boy chuckled. “Between you and me, I'm not really religious. I've actually never even been inside of a church. But, yeah, I think this town is being dumb.” Luke stood up and smirked. Jason slipped the paper into his pocket as the bell rang. “I guess I'll see you later.”

There was a gleam in Luke's eye as he slipped his hands into his pockets. “Oh, you definitely will.”

As the students made their way to exit the cafeteria, Luke disappeared into the crowd. Jason stared down at the brownies Demeter had made for him. If he was to get in with these kids, he figured Luke was the best place to start. Something about Luke made him feel like he was sort of a leader figure.

Letting out a sigh, Jason stood and gathered his backpack and the container. Falling into the crowd, Jason made his way towards the main building. Once inside, he stopped before going up the stairs. Something had caught his eye.

Standing in the main office was Mrs. Dodds, who looked very animated as she pointed and ranted at a very tall man with a scruffy beard. His brown hair almost reached his shoulders. The bearded man was dressed up, wearing khaki pants and short sleeved button-up shirt. A coffee mug rested in his hand.

The man shook his head and opened the door, gesturing for Mrs. Dodds to leave. The woman huffed and stormed out, stopping on the other side. “I'm starting to wonder if they've gotten to you, Chiron.” A lot of the students stopped to watch. “These children need to know who they're going to school with.”

“Believe me, Mrs. Dodds, I'm sure they are already quite familiar with all the rumors. But, as the principal, I cannot allow for outright persecution to happen at my school.” He planted his feet in the doorway and slipped the hand he wasn't using to hold the coffee into his pocket. “Besides, the entire town is already aware of the pastor's death.”

“And you're not going to speak about it?” The woman screeched.

Chiron let out a sigh. “I allowed for a prayer circle to go on yesterday morning. I felt that would suffice.”

Mrs. Dodds narrowed her eyes and wagged her finger in Chiron's face. “Jesus is coming again, Mr. Brunner. I do hope you're on the right side when it happens.” She adjusted her purse on her shoulder. “The town is already concerned, you not attending church and all. It would be unfortunate if the school board were to think you weren't... right for the job anymore.”

The man did not seem bothered by her words. He arched an eyebrow at her. “My dear Mrs. Dodds, the only unfortunate thing going on at this school is your poor choice in hats.”

Jason bit back a laugh. Judging by the sound of it, several other students found it amusing, as Jason heard chuckles. Mrs. Dodds's mouth was agape, her hand over her chest. “Well I never!” Turning with a huff, the woman made her way to the exit, students jumping out of her way. “I will not rest, Chiron! I will not rest until this school is safe from those devil worshipers!”

The blond shook his head with a laugh as he turned around to head to class, only to bump into someone. The smell of nutmeg instantly filled his nose. Drew stood in front of him, looking like someone just spilled coffee all over her. “Excuse you.”

She was certainly rude. “Sorry.” Jason gave her a lopsided smile and stepped aside.

The Asian girl did not move, though. She looked so baffled by Jason's mere presence. Shaking her head, she reached up into her hair and pulled a pen out of her bun. Smiling, she dropped it. “Oops. Tell me,” her eyes locked so intensely with Jason's, “would you mind picking that up for me?”

A brunet poked his head over Drew's side, carrying a load of books in his arms. He looked rather confused himself. Jason just arched a brow at her. “You just dropped it.” What was her deal? “You dropped it to ask me to pick it up?” The brunet behind Drew's eyebrows shot up, as did Drew's. “It looks like you're already asking people to do things for you, but I think you're capable of doing something like this on your own.”

Before Jason could leave, Drew latched a very neatly manicured hand onto his arm. “So, let me just get this straight: you aren't going to pick up the pen I asked you to pick up?” She looked so shocked, like no one had ever told her no.

A nice smell caught Jason's nose, but he just shook his head. It kind of tickled his senses. “You did hear me then.” He patted her shoulder. “I think you'll be okay doing something for yourself, don't worry.”

In a huff, Drew stormed off. The brunet with all the books still continued to gape. “Mitchell!” Drew yelled. Letting out a yelp, the brunet scampered off after her.

Right before he disappeared up the stairs, the brunet smirked and winked at Jason. That had been... odd. Drew was odd. Did people really not tell her no? She seemed so devastated. Shaking his head, Jason headed for his locker.

\-------------------------

Jason coughed several times, wiping the powder from in front of his face as the explosion of flour cleared. He turned to give Nico an apologetic look, finding the boy in a similar flour covered state. Nico glared at him, attempting to wipe off his shirt.

“Do you even know what you're doing?”

What gave it away? Jason rubbed the back of his neck. “Not really.” He cringed when Nico shook the flour from his hair. “I'm really sorry.”

Ms. Stheno came to stand in front of them, looking appalled. “In all my years of teaching this class, no one has managed to make this big of a mess.” Even though it had been clearly Jason's fault, she turned to give Nico a look. Nico just shook his head and went back to trying to clean himself up. “I expect you both to stay after and clean this up.”

“Yes, ma'am,” Nico mumbled. Jason just nodded. “Just great.”

Jason began clearing their workstation so it could be wiped clean. “I really am sorry.”

“Were you even listening?” Nico glared at him.

Not really, no. But Nico did not need to know the reason for that. It was just hard to concentrate on his work around the raven haired boy. There was just something about him, but Jason could not quite put his finger on it. Jason liked to think he was just concerned, and that was the reason for him being distracted. Seriously, how was Nico not suffocating in those jackets?

At least Nico had taken the aviator jacket off before they had started baking.

Maybe it was lucky that Jason had been paying so much attention, though. Otherwise, he probably would have never noticed that Nico was shaking. It had started just shortly after he had taken off his jacket. Which made no sense, because the classroom was just slightly stuffy. The dark bags under his eyes were very pronounced today, his eyes barely hanging open. The boy had obviously gotten little sleep, if any at all. Even when they were tasked with baking a small cake, Nico's hands shook as he sat out the ingredients.

Whenever Jason tried to help, Nico had quickly shut him down. The blond was going to guess that Nico had not been paying much attention while letting him deal with the flour. Ms. Stheno huffed from her desk.

“All right class, I'll be right back. It looks like I need to get a mop and a rag,” the woman announced. With a dark look in Nico's direction, she left the room.

Ever since yesterday, Jason had been trying to think of a way to touch Nico again. That brief contact was all he had been able to think about last night. He wanted to feel that again, see if it was just in his head or not.

But he couldn't.

Nico kept himself distanced. He wouldn't even let Jason get close to him. Why was he being so guarded?

Before Jason could even process what was happening, Nico had yanked off his T-shirt and tossed it onto his chair. A black metallic chain caught Jason's attention. It swung from Nico's neck before the boy grabbed it to still the necklace. Jason couldn't help himself as he did a quick glance over Nico's body, swallowing hard as he took in the slender boy's torso.

He was so thin, a hint of his ribs was even showing. There were no tan lines, not that Jason had really expected any. No hair lay upon the boy's soft looking skin. Quickly running his fingers through his hair to get out any remaining flour, Nico pulled a fresh shirt from his backpack.

“Whoa,” Jason breathed out as the necklace spun to face him.

A bright red stone sat in its center, the name 'di Angelo' scrawled out inside it. A similar skull to the one that had been on Nico's ring sat above the name, this one looking slightly darker. Four talons sat around the red stone, holding it in place.

“Unless you want people to know you have a thing for guys, I'd suggest you stop staring,” Nico said in a lowered voice. He shot Jason a pointed look as he slipped the shirt over his head. Jason's cheeks tinged pink. “Hope you brought a change of clothes, looks like you'll need it.”

Jason kind of wanted to kick himself. “Not really,” he mumbled.

“Sucks for you then.”

During the remainder of their class, Jason and Nico worked hard to clean up their station, and their work paid off as the bell rang and their area was decently cleaned. Ms. Stheno tapped a finger to her lips as she inspected the station. “I suppose it'll do.”

Smiling, Jason turned to his partner, who was already packing up his things. “Sorry again. I've just been a little spaced out lately.” Nico stood up straight and stared at him. Jason continued to smile as he held his hand out. “So, do you think you can forgive me?”

“You care too much about what others think about you.” Nico arched a brow as he shouldered his backpack. “I don't see how you'll survive around us if that is the case.” Jason didn't budge. Letting out a sigh, Nico went to take Jason's hand. “Fine, whatever.”

It took every muscle in Jason's body not to flinch upon contact. There was no heartbeat, but Nico's hand was cold. Really cold. It felt like the blond was holding an ice cube in his hand. There was not even a trace of warmth like anyone would expect from someone living. No wonder he was freezing.

“Are you... okay?”

Nico frowned. “Yeah. Why?”

“Just...” Jason motioned to Nico's hand. “You're really cold.”

Sighing, Nico put his jacket back on and began walking to the door, which Jason quickly followed behind him. “It's nothing. My hands are always cold, nothing to worry about.” He pointed to Jason's shirt as he began to head down the hall. “You might want to clean yourself up.”

The only class he typically would need a change of clothes for was his last class, and since it was the last class of the day, he felt it was not necessary for him to worry about showering after baseball tryouts were over. However, since he was pretty much slaughtering any chance of a social standing with the majority of this school, Jason was beginning to think he needed to bring spare clothes from now on.

He headed for the bathroom, hoping to at least clean his shirt with a wet paper towel. Once inside, though, he came to a stop. There appeared to be two others in the bathroom.

“Are you okay?” That was Percy. From where he stood, Jason could make out the tall boy in the reflection of a mirror, standing right behind Nico. The shorter boy was wiping his face with a damp paper towel. “You've looked pretty bad these past few days.” Percy cleared his throat. “Not that I was paying attention.”

“I'm fine,” Nico said quietly. “Just tired.” Dark eyes stared at Percy in the mirror. “Touching that you actually take the time to notice me.”

Percy grinned and placed his hands behind his head. “We've known each other since we were in diapers, man. I just want to look out for you.” He moved forward and rested his chin on Nico's shoulder. “If you're having issues at home, you can always come stay with me.”

Rolling his eyes, Nico pushed Percy back gently. “Luke offers me a place to stay with him. I'll tell you, like I've told him, I'm fine.” He arched a brow, smirking. “And I know why you're asking me to come over, and it's not out of your concern.”

Percy placed his hands over his chest. “I'm so hurt right now.” He let his smirk fall away as he tilted his head to the side. “You know, not every guy is like-”

“I know!” Nico shook his head. Sighing, Nico finished cleaning his face. He turned around and patted Percy's cheek. “Are you going to tell me what you're wanting, or shall I guess?”

When Percy pouted, it reminded Jason of a sad baby seal. It was a wonder the guy didn't get whatever he wanted with a face like that. “Can't I just enjoy the company of my oldest friend?” Nico just stared at him with a dull look. “Okay, so there was something.”

Nico sighed. “Then why don't you talk to Luke?” He crossed his arms. “Why does our fearless leader need my opinion?”

“Nico,” Percy had a dark look in his eyes as he almost growled. “Don't act like your father.”

“She-”

“Has been very hands off lately.” Percy let out a sigh. “Talk to Luke, if that's really what you want to do. I just wish you'd stop playing like you're some puppeteer.” The green-eyed boy moved closer when Nico turned to face the mirror again. His smirk returned as his arms slipped around Nico's waist. “Just think about it. Please? For me?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “And you wonder why you and Annabeth can't seem to stay together.” He let out a sigh. “Fine. Just let go dammit.”

Jason's eyes widened as something shoved him toppling to the floor. Percy and Nico jumped as Jason slid into the trashcan that sat beside the sink. The blond groaned and rolled over, meeting the girl that Annabeth had identified as Medea yesterday. She had decided to wear even more black today.

There was a spark of amusement in her eyes as she stepped over Jason. “It seems you have an eavesdropper, dear cousin.” She smirked when Nico glared at her. “If I didn't know better, I'd say you lost your...” she dusted some leftover flour from Nico's hair, “touch.” When her dark eyes lingered on Percy, she sneered.

It was not that easy to get up from the floor without making too much noise, Jason found out. It probably did not help that he could not get the trashcan to stand up right. The three others all had their eyes on him. Clearing his throat, Jason raised a hand in a wave. “Um, hi?”

Medea chose to ignore him. She stepped between Percy and Nico without a concern for the looks they were giving her. “You know, Nico, I don't see why you keep letting him sweet talk you. You just have not been yourself these past few years.” Her hand rested on her cousin's shoulder. “It's not like it's going to work out, but you already know that. As does he. Don't cha, Percy?” The green-eyed boy gritted his teeth at her. “I guess it's the same reason you and Alabaster didn't work out.”

“Medea,” Nico growled. “Watch yourself.”

The girl let out a dry laugh and adjusted the bangle on her arm. It also seemed to have the skull image that Jason had seen on Nico and Hazel's jewelry. “Still haven't let that death go?”

Nico's nostrils flared. “Get out before I make you,” he growled.

Jason did not think it possible, but that made Medea lose her smirk. She huffed and turned on her heel before making her way out of the bathroom. It literally felt like the bathroom turned to ice as she passed, leaving Jason in an unexplained state of mild panic. He did not freak out, but he recognized the emotion deep within him. It was this horrible feeling of terror or dread, like he had felt before at times. Especially the night he lost his parents.

Nico's dark eyes snapped over to Jason. “You,” he seethed. Percy placed a hand on his shoulder and Nico closed his eyes, slowly letting out a breath. When they opened again, the anger was gone. “Don't spy on me.”

“I wasn't. Er, I didn't mean to.” The blond motioned to himself. “I just wanted to clean up.”

That same grin that had been on Percy's face in the hallway yesterday returned in full force as he moved forward and held out his fist. “You're... Jason, was it? The new guy?” His eyes sparked with a hint of mischief. “I'm Percy.”

Jason smiled and bumped the guy's fist. “I know, we have woodshop together.” He shrugged. “Plus there was the event in the hallway yesterday.”

“Yeah..” Percy chuckled to himself. “That was fun.” Nico elbowed him in the side. “I mean, totally wrong...” His grin widened. “In a funny way.” The green-eyed boy winked when Nico let out a sigh. “Anyways, I hear you're going to be hanging out with us soon.”

“What?” Nico apparently had not gotten the memo.

“Uh...” Jason fumbled.

Percy pressed his lips together and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah... Maybe you should talk to Luke about that!”

Jason barely had time to blink before Percy shot out of the bathroom. He turned back to Nico, who was staring up at him with an unreadable expression. “Um, you know, I can tell Luke to forget the plans... if it's that big of a deal, I mean.” He cleared his throat. “I get that you don't really seem to like me.”

Which Jason could really not figure out. He had done nothing wrong to Nico. He had even tried to be the guy's friend, only to be shot down repetitively. What had happened to cause him to become so closed off?

Instead of answering Jason's question, Nico moved forward to leave, but stopped right beside the blond and spoke in a quiet tone. “It would be best if you forget what you just overheard. Consider it a favor, since Luke apparently sees you as a friend.” His dark eyes pierced right through Jason. “It's only a matter of time anyways, until you decide you don't like us.”

He opened the bathroom door, but Jason responded before he could leave. “I'm not like that.” Nico did not turn around to face him. “Maybe you should try getting to know me before passing judgment, or maybe you're no better than the rest of the people in this town.”

Maybe that had been a mistake.

Those dark eyes turned back on Jason, making him fight the urge to gulp. Nico could be very intimidating when he wanted to be. “Saturday.”

“What?”

Nico pressed his lips together for a moment before he replied. “I'll tell Luke to set something up for Saturday.” His eyebrow shot up. “If you're really serious about this, I mean.” He was studying the blond, waiting for a sign that Jason was lying to them. “Feel free to change your mind, though.”

“No, Saturday sounds good.”

For a moment, Nico just stood there and stared at Jason. The blond fidgeted a bit, but said nothing. Without another word, Nico left. That was a good sign, right?

Jason pulled out his phone to check the time. “Shit,” he cursed under his breath. He was going to be late. Rushing to the sink, the blond wiped off his shirt with a wet paper towel. Grabbing his backpack from the floor, Jason ran out the door and dashed down the hall. The blond boy went down the stairs as quickly as possible, stumbling at the bottom. Jason let out a yelp as he fell forward, only to be caught by Eros.

The curly haired boy let out a chuckle as he straightened Jason. “You might want to slow down there, Jason.”

There was something so innocent and tidy about Eros, Jason had noted. Even the way he dressed. In fact, the only thing not seemingly managed was the guy's hair, which was probably too much hassle to worry about in the mornings. It still looked very nice, though. He was just very well groomed. He seemed to like button down shirts that he tucked into his khaki pants. Even his shoes were clean and perfectly laced.

It seemed to fit his nice personality.

“Sorry,” Jason quickly apologized, “I'm just running late to class.”

Eros smiled and nodded. “I figured.” He started to back up. “And I hope the town hasn't freaked you out too much. The town and those families of Luke and the others have just never really gotten along.” He shrugged. “Not sure why.” With another smile, he waved at Jason. “I'll see you in English, man.”

Eros might be the only sane person here, Jason thought to himself.

Jason's next class was woodshop, which was as boring as it sounded. He really did not have much of a choice, though, considering he had already taken most of the curriculum that was offered at this school. There was one thing Jason found himself interested in getting to class for, though. There were two kids from the shunned families in there.

Obviously, one was Percy. The other happened to be a Latino boy by the name of Leo Valdez. Jason had learned the guy's name when attendance was taken yesterday, but had not had a chance to speak to Leo as of yet. Jason briskly walked into the classroom as the bell went off, earning him a pointed look from the teacher.

“Thank you for gracing us with your presence, Mr. Grace,” the teacher, a man named Tantalus, muttered as Jason took his seat. Of course Jason was going to be subject to jokes about his name here, he always was. The teacher gave the room a pointed look to silence the snickering.

The man was very odd looking, in Jason's opinion. He was very thin and tall, hunching slightly. His hair was gray and shooting in every direction imaginable. He also seemed to always have dirt under his nails and bad breath. But what stood out the most was the man's taste in shirts. Today's choice was a bright orange polo.

Tantalus reached down, still eyeing the class, to pick up a plastic cup. “All right, today, children,” he began in a slightly mocking tone, “we're going to- Shit!”

The class busted out laughing as the man dropped his cup, quickly having taken notice that it was leaking on him. The man narrowed his eyes as he bent down to pick up the cup. Jason had to cover his mouth to hide his laughter upon noticing the small hole that had been made in the red plastic cup.

“Who is responsible for this?” The man yelled. No one answered. The man rubbed his head as he dropped the cup in the garbage. “I knew I shouldn't have left that on my desk when I had to go make a phone call. Jackson,” he pointed to Percy, “is this your doing?”

“I wish,” the boy sighed. “It was really funny.”

“I am not amused,” the man replied dryly. He let out a long breath. “Where are your other hooligan friends?”

“In class, I would imagine,” Leo responded, smirking cockily. “Perhaps they did it from their history class.”

“Don't mock me, Valdez,” Tantalus growled, pinching the bridge of his nose. “No matter, let's just get on with class.” He grabbed a roll of paper towels from his desk and used it to clean up the water. “Stupid kids,” he muttered before clearing his throat. “Today, I want to assign your first project. You're going to be making art, wondrous art. I want to marvel upon the beauty of your work. Now, we're going to do something different. This year, I want you to make... a bird house.”

“Don't you always assign that?” One student asked.

“No talking in my class!” Tantalus narrowed his eyes, drawing his hands to his chest like some rat. “You'll make a damned bird house and you'll like it!” Seeing the smirks on the class's face, he rolled his eyes. “Fine, we'll do something different. It'll be a group project. Three to a group, and you can pick your partners.” The man took a brief pause, eyeing the class. “Battle to the death!”

The teenagers hesitated a moment before quietly getting up and going to talk to one another. To say Tantalus looked disappointed by the lack of aggression might have been an understatement. Jason blew out a breath as he watched the man, fighting the urge to laugh. The man was interesting, to say the least.

He really was not sure if he should have been surprised or not, but one of the students came over to him. An Asian boy with glossy black hair and a slim, wiry build stood to the side of him. His clothes, which were slightly too big for him, hung loosely from his body, he even had to wear a belt to keep his pants from falling off. When Jason glanced up, he was met by a brown eye and an eye patch.

The guy smiled at Jason as he held out his hand. “Hey, the name's Ethan. You want to be in my group?” He glanced up, casting a dark look over to Leo and Percy. “I would hate for you to have to be left with no options, so I just thought I'd offer you some assistance.”

“Um, I'm Jason.” The blond turned his head slightly to glance at Percy and Leo. From behind his binder, Percy was flipping Ethan off. Jason was a bit lost for words. He did not really want to be rude, but he did have his mind made up already. “I'm fine. Thanks, though.”

Ethan eyed him for a second, looking at Jason like he was crazy. “You sure? You know they're-”

“Witches?” Jason smirked a little when Leo pulled the skin down under his eye and stuck his tongue out at Ethan. “That's what I keep hearing. They've been rather harmless since I got into town.” As Jason stood up, he clapped Ethan on the shoulder with a smile. “I really do appreciate the offer, though.”

Ethan nodded with his mouth open. Percy practically cackled in his seat as Jason got his things and moved past a stunned Ethan to join them. Smiling, Jason took a seat across the table from the other boys.

“You know, I would have gone with devilishly sexy when he asked what we were,” Percy stated with a grin. “I find that to be a much more accurate statement. At least on my part.”

“Hey!” Leo nudged the green-eyed boy next to him. “I'll have you know that the ladies find me plenty attractive.”

Percy shrugged. “He just means in his dreams. Girls around here don't exactly go chasing us.” The guy scratched at his chin before plopping it into his palm with a bored sigh. “Doesn't stop them from staring and giving us their flirty eyes. Especially when Apollo was here. Jesus, they wouldn't stop drooling. We had to get buckets.”

“Percy, even if they didn't hate us for being from our families,” Leo said, “their parents would never let their kids date you.”

The taller of the two waved Leo off with a roll of his eyes. “Just because I crashed a car through a church window one time...”

“It wasn't your car,” Leo muttered.

Percy turned his attention back to Jason. “It was mainly the Stolls' idea.” His grin returned as he reached out to clap Jason on the shoulder. “Welcome to the team, man!”

“Shhhhh!” Tantalus glared at them from his desk.

Leo shot up from his chair, grabbing Jason's hand and shaking it energetically. “So, I'm Leo, and I think you already met Percy.”

A faint chuckle escaped Percy. “Nico's been giving him a super hard time.”

Leo went to open his mouth, but shut it and frowned. “I was going to make a sex joke, but then I realized that you'd roll with it and try to put a visual image in my head.”

“I have pictures.”

“What?” Jason said without thinking. It probably shouldn't have bothered him, but it kind of did.

Tilting his head to the side, Percy grinned. “Just joking.” He rubbed the back of his head. “Nah, Nico would have killed me.”

“Um,” Jason glanced down at the assignment sheet for their project. “Shouldn't we get started?”

“Nah.”

Leo smirked. “I got it covered, dude, don't worry.” He motioned to himself with an air of confidence. “I love building things, it runs in my family.” The guy nearly fell backwards when he tried to balance his chair on its hind legs. “So, Luke's been talking about you.”

Electric blue eyes shifted between the two boys across from him. “I get the feeling he does that a lot.”

Leo grinned. “Just mentioned you.” The boy shrugged. “You're sort of an interesting topic. It's not every day that we have someone willing to socialize with the likes of us.” He motioned between himself and Percy. “Didn't really think he was serious with it all, though.”

Percy smirked at Jason. “Nah, he seems pretty cool.” The troublemaker did give the blond an odd look, though. “I am a little surprised, I won't lie.” His eyes lit up. “Hey, that rhymed.”

Leo smacked his forehead. “Please, I beg of you, don't become like Apollo.”

“Who is Apollo?” Jason asked.

“Uh...” Percy glanced over at Leo. “So, don't... Well, don't bring him up around some of the group. He goes to school in New Orleans. Uh, Nico and Luke really don't get along with him.” He shrugged. “They never have told me why.”

“Well...” interrupted Leo.

“Okay,” Percy continued, “I know some of it.” His eyes shifted over to the Latino boy, seemingly having forgotten about Jason. “You know it has to be something other than over Alabaster. Nico looked like he wanted to murder the guy for several months randomly, but he didn't seem all that bothered by the breakup.”

“I suppose that's a good point.”

“Uh,” Jason fumbled. He pushed his glasses up before they could slide down his nose too far.

“Right!” Percy cleared his throat and sat up more in his seat. “Just... you know, ignore all that. It's not that important.” He grinned wickedly at Jason. “So, I hear you're bisexual.”

Jason chuckled slightly. “Figures that Luke would mention that.”

Percy shrugged at him. “Doesn't really make a difference to everyone else in town, though. As far as they are concerned, you might as well be gay and off limits for dating. Or, since you're not one of us, they might just try to 'pray the gay away'. Just a thought.”

The blue-eyed boy shook his head. “I just think all of this is stupid.” He chuckled. “I mean, it's like I stepped into an old Salem, where the villagers were trying to burn you at the stake.”

“Funny,” Leo chuckled nervously. He tossed Percy a quick look.

One thing that Jason was learning was that a lot of these kids, like Percy or Nico, did not speak with much of an accent, if any at all. It was just always mild, only really showing up every now and then. Nico, as Jason found out today, had a very light southern accent when he got angry, especially if he had to say something like “you're”. None of them were anywhere near as potent as the rest of the people in town. Even the most mild of southern accents from the average townsperson stood out more than the strongest ones that Jason had heard from these estranged families. It definitely made him wonder.

As it had already been stated, Leo was pretty much going to take care of the assignment. Jason did try to offer his assistance, but Leo did not want it. “He would just get mad at you, if you did help,” Percy pointed out. “Leo is very particular about his work.”

Jason supposed that it would just be an easy A.

The blond nearly jumped out of his skin when he exited the class after the bell rang. His eyebrows rose as he came face to face with Nico, looking like death. The look of exhaustion had returned to the boy, who slouched as he stood in the hall. A bored look sat on his face as he met Jason's eyes. “I'm going to start thinking that you're stalking me.”

“Gives me a chance to grow on you.” Jason smirked, receiving a glare from Nico. “In my defense, you're the one waiting outside of my class. Maybe I should worry that you'll follow me home from school.”

“Oh no, wouldn't want that. I might turn you into a toad while you sleep.”

“Can I be a cute toad?”

Nico's eyes widened slightly, a faint blush coming to his cheeks. Leo came from behind Jason, laughing. “Wow, it seems your intimidation thing isn't working on him, Neeks.”

The pale boy ran his tongue along his teeth as he looked Jason over. “I came here for Leo,” he said, holding Jason's gaze. With a click of his tongue, he looked to the Latino boy.

Percy slung an arm around Jason. “Don't worry, Jason, Nico always plays hard to get.” The guy got a death glare for that statement. “His attempts at avoiding you and cutting you with his words are just how he shows he cares.” Percy pouted when Nico continued to glare. “You didn't want to see me, though?”

“No,” Nico sighed, rubbing his temple. “Can I just get Leo to come with me without the stupid comments?” Before Percy could even get a word out of his mouth, grinning wickedly, Nico shut him down. “I swear to any god that could hear me, Jackson, do not make a sexual comment.”

Percy continued to pout. “Fine, ruin the fun.”

Leo slung his arm around Nico. “C'mon, dude, would it kill you to smile?”

Nico turned his head to glare at the Latino boy as they walked off. “Just leave me alone,” he said exasperatedly. “I'm not in the mood to joke.” Slipping his hands into the pockets of his aviator jacket, Nico disappeared into the crowd of students with Leo.

Jason frowned and scratched his chest as he headed towards the back stairs. English was his next class, yet again containing two of Luke's bunch of friends. Reyna happened to be one of them, while the other girl seemed to talk the raven haired girl's ear off. Rachel was her name, or so Jason had gathered when attendance had been taken yesterday.

She seemed to zone out a lot, doodling in her notebook, which was exactly what she was doing when Jason entered the room. Reyna nodded at him as he walked towards the desks. Instead of sitting where he had the day before, though, Jason changed course to sit in front of Rachel.

The girl raised a hand to wave in acknowledgment, not even bothering to look up. It seemed her notebook was not the only thing the girl doodled on, judging by the appearance of her arms and jeans. A golden bangle rested on her right arm, a scepter engraved in its metal and two small peacock feather fragments hanging from its sides. She was tall and thin, her frizzy red hair resting on her shoulders.

Reyna swiveled around in her desk to face the blond. “Furthering your attempt at social suicide, I see. The others have been talking about it. Even with Nico, who doesn't seem like he trusts you enough to be your friend.”

“I got him to agree for us all to hangout this weekend,” Jason pointed out.

Reyna's eyebrows rose a little. “Surprising. Maybe he'll come around.”

Jason turned his head as the red haired girl looked up, meeting him with a pair of intense green eyes. The girl's brow furrowed as she looked him over. “Oh thank god,” the girl breathed out. Jason and Reyna looked at her strangely. Rachel shut her mouth, her brow furrowing again. “Um, I mean, you're the boy Luke was talking about, right?”

The blue-eyed boy quirked a brow. He turned to Reyna, who had an eyebrow raised and her mouth was hanging slightly ajar. The boy tilted his head to the side. “Yeah, that's me.” It was apparent that Reyna did not believe the girl either, and they had known each other longer.

“Rachel?”

The girl in question was studying Jason's face again. “Nice to meet you.”

The boy nodded in response. The girl was strange. She stared at him as if she was questioning his presence there. He was afraid she might reach out and pinch him.

“Hey, freaks,” Kelli sneered as she walked past their desks, Dylan in tow. Reyna turned to flip Kelli off.

“Girls.” Everyone fell quiet as the teacher entered, frowning at them. “Do I need to reiterate my rules for the class?”

“No, ma'am,” Reyna and Kelli answered.

The woman's mousy brown hair fell over her shoulders like curtains, shining faintly in the light. Her warm, dark brown eyes reminded Jason of a warm fire, cozy and inviting. She wore a freshly pressed blouse with a brown skirt that came down to her knees, a pair of flats resting on her feet. She raised a well-manicured finger.

“There will be no intolerance in my classroom.” Her eyes flickered to Reyna when the girl snickered. “Nor will there be any rude gestures tossed around in here.” She took in a deep breath, making an inward motion with her hands. “This is a peaceful environment, and I will not see this course soiled by what goes on between the community.”

“Yes, Ms. Hestia,” the class responded.

“Good. Now-” The door opened, Hestia turning to look. Eros walked in, looking sheepish. Hestia let out a sigh. “How nice of you to join us, Eros. I trust you have an excuse for being tardy?”

After sitting down a few desks away from Kelli, Eros placed his backpack beside him. “I'm sorry, ma'am. I was helping a freshman, who was inquiring about student council.”

Hestia sighed and nodded her head. “Very well. I'd tell you to not make a habit of it, but I don't think you've ever been late to one of my classes before today.” Walking over to her desk, Hestia picked up a book. “Now then, if you'll all turn to page four, we'll begin our first lesson for the semester.”

\-----------------------

By the end of the day, Jason found himself disliking surprises. After he was done with his last day of tryouts, he had headed back to the locker room to change back into his regular clothes before the team list was posted. The problem was that he ended up on his back as soon as he opened the door.

He groaned and moved to sit up, finding two pairs of hands resting on his back to help get him to his feet. “Whoa there,” came one voice.

“You came out of nowhere,” laughed a second.

Jason shook his head. He must have hit his head harder than he thought, because he was seeing double. Two boys with brown, curly hair stood in front of him, both with the same mischievous grin plastered on their faces. They were both on the skinny side, their jeans fitting perfectly to their waists. Their blue eyes widened upon hearing the sound of a small explosion behind them.

“Stolls!” Came a yell from inside the locker room.

“Got to go,” they said simultaneously.

“Wait!” Jason yelled after them as they dashed towards the parking lot. But they were gone, heading straight for a new, very expensive looking silver mustang. There was something about them, Jason thought, something that seemed familiar. He just could not quite place it. Something about their grins.

The coach, a short man by the name of Gleeson Hedge, came barreling out of the locker room, wiping whip cream from his face. “Did you see two hooligans run through here, Grace?”

While Jason glanced in the direction that the boys had gone, he shook his head. Hedge waved him off and went back inside. The blond laughed quietly as soon as the door was shut, but it died almost as soon as it began.

His hand was scratching away at his chest again. He let out a sigh, silently cursing himself as he pushed open the door. He opened the locker that was assigned to him for the time being. The blond just hoped the list that was about to be posted would keep it his locker.

After changing, Jason walked out of the building. The other guys that had tried out for the team had gathered around the dugout. Jason felt his breath hitch. Well, this was it, he thought. It really was no surprise to him when some of the kids parted to let him through. With the amount of suicide he had done today, it was bound to happen. Kinzie had not been pleased with him at all when they had eaten lunch. But had that stopped him?

No, and he had no intention of backing down from his decision.

Dylan, who had also tried out for the team, clapped him on the shoulder when he reached the front. “Congratulations, buddy, looks like you made it.” He lightly punched the blond's shoulder. “Now you won't have to hangout with those creepy kids, since everybody loves the people that play sports.”

Even though Dylan had said it, Jason still looked to make sure. There his name was, plain as day. He smiled to himself. “I guess I'll be seeing you around then.” He received a pat on the arm from Dylan. Jason's brow furrowed as the dark haired boy strutted off.

The kids in the town did not seem all that bad, at least when Luke and the others were not involved. But the intolerance sort of soured their presence for Jason. He was sort of hoping that this little endeavor of his would show everyone that these kids were not to be feared and persecuted.

Coach Hedge stopped Jason as he was leaving the fields. “Grace! Hold up a second.” Blinking, Jason came to a stop and stared down at the shorter man. “Now that you made the team, you need to be thinking of another sport to play. Given it any thought?” He grinned and punched Jason in the arm. “What about football? I could make you the star of the team with how fast you ran those bases. The girls will love ya.”

“Um...” Jason scratched the back of his neck. “Football was never really my thing.” He glanced off to the side for a second, ignoring the grunt that Hedge gave him. “Maybe track? That should be easy enough, right?”

“If ya wanna have it easy, kid. Come on, what about the football?”

“Track sounds good. Do I need to tryout?”

Hedge let out a sigh and glanced at his clipboard. “Our first meet will be coming up soon. Just show up tomorrow and I'll see about getting you a uniform.” He waved Jason off as he headed back to the dugout. “With how fast you were running, no need to tryout. Just don't let me down, kid.”

At least he had made the team. Jason adjusted the strap on his backpack and headed to the student parking lot. He just was not sure how he felt about track. It would be fine, like he had told the coach, it was just not what he wanted to do. But it was whatever. Jason would do some running and then he could do the sport he wanted to play in the spring.

Back home, Jason found the house empty. Ms. Mellie was probably still at the school, since staff tended to stay after it let out. The blond wrinkled his nose. He needed a shower after that practice. He headed back to the bathroom, only to stop and groan when there was a knock at the door. Couldn't he just enjoy a bit of peace after his day?

He fought the urge not to immediately slam the door shut upon opening it.

Mrs. Dodds stood there with several plastic containers filled with food all stacked on a large metal platter. “I'm sorry to intrude like this, Jason, but I thought I'd help Ms. Mellie out and prepare a meal for the two of you.” She held up the food. “May I come in?”

Before Jason could answer, his stomach growled at the smell of food. “Um, I guess.”

Mrs. Dodds moved past him and sat the food down. She then tasked herself with sorting the containers and placing them properly around the kitchen island. “And, well, after hearing about your parents, I just couldn't stand by and let you starve.”

“Ms. Mellie has been taking great care of me.”

The woman looked up at him. “Oh, I know, dear, I just wanted to help.”

Jason blinked a few times. He had to remind himself that these people were not all bad. They could be ignorant about things, but they were still nice at heart. For the most part. “Thank you.” His face paled. “Wait, is this going to become a thing?”

“What's that, sugar?”

The boy cleared his throat, gesturing to the food. “I just... didn't think people would actually take the time to... make... food... for me.” He realized that, by the end of his sentence, his statement had sounded more like a question, rather than a statement. “I mean-”

Mrs. Dodds waved him off. “Oh think nothing of it, sweetie. The ladies at church don't mind chipping in to help our dear Ms. Mellie and you out.” She picked up the metal platter she had used to carry her mountain of food containers in and placed it against her stomach. “Now then, if you need anything else, just call this number,” she said, handing Jason a card.

The blond slowly nodded his head, slipping the card into his pocket. “Thank you.”

The woman moved towards the door, clearing her throat. “Now, as you know, Jason, we had a murder occur here just a few days ago. So, you need to make sure your doors are locked every night, and make sure you say your prayers.” She raised a finger. “It was those families, I tell you that now. I know, I know it was them. You need to stay away from them, or they might put a curse on you.”

And there it was, the reason he kept getting annoyed with these people. Sure they could be nice, but that did not stop them from being hateful as well. How the Christian religion could have gotten so convoluted was beyond him. Last he recalled, Jesus preached about love and acceptance, not burning sinners and outcasts at the stake.

“Not that I mean to offend,” Jason began, “but what have they exactly done to warrant all of this persecution?”

That seemed to be the wrong thing to ask. “What have they done? What haven't they done? They are devils, all of them. Drownings, accidents, illness, people going missing; you name it, and it's happened here.” The woman flung her arms in the air. “If you do anything wrong to them, you end up getting cursed. Anyone who has severely attacked them has had something happen to them. Don't you consider that a little strange?”

“But people seem to constantly treat them badly.”

“Through the protection of the Lord, we might be spared from evil's touch.” Jason was not surprised when the woman pulled out a pocket Bible from her purse. She gave him a stern look before placing it in his hand. “You should read this every night, son, it'll help ward them off. The Lord's faithful will prevail in the war against evil.”

Jason stared down at the book as the crazy woman closed the door. Before he could even put it down, however, there was another knock at the door. He sighed, figuring it was Mrs. Dodds again, and opened it.

“Hey there, Jason!” Luke grinned at him, leaning against the door frame. He tossed his thumb over his shoulder. “Looks like you had a visit from the town's crazy old bat.” His lips tilted up more. “We had to sneak across the yard, so she wouldn't try tossing holy water on us.”

Stepping aside, Luke revealed the very two boys that Jason had gotten trampled by after tryouts. The only difference in their appearance was the shirts they wore. The one on the left wore a light blue T-shirt, while the duplicate wore a green one. And both of them were carrying food.

Luke stepped around Jason. “So, the twins' mom decided to cook you something to eat, if you want it.”

The identical boys stepped forward with matching grins to the one Luke wore. Glancing between the three of them, it clicked in the blue-eyed boy's mind where he had seen those grins in the first place. These were the twins he had heard about on his very first day in town.

“Um,” Jason motioned to the kitchen area, “I guess find a place to put it over there.”

The boy in green sat his plate down next to the stove before poking around what Mrs. Dodds had brought. “Looks like Mrs. Dodds beat us to it, Luke.”

The tall blond blew his lips. “Figures.” He looked at Jason with a wag of his brow. “The church ladies around here are relentless.”

Jason let out a groan. “At least it will take some of the cooking load off of Ms. Mellie.” He glanced at the food. “Is this the end of it?”

“Nope,” replied the boy in blue.

“Ah.” Luke motioned to the twins. “I guess I forgot to introduce you to the troublemakers of the family.”

Both boys rolled their eyes simultaneously. The one in green slung his arm around his clone. “You're one to talk.” He grinned over at Jason. “Plus we already ran into him.”

The other twin snickered. “Literally.”

Luke shook his head. “Travis and Connor, the twins and my younger brothers. Or, as their mother likes to call them: the inmates.” He tossed his thumb over to them. “Travis is the one in green and is the ringleader of their stunts. Connor is the one in blue. He's got a way with words and will talk you out of your socks.”

“Pleased to meet you,” the twins said together. Jason glanced over at Luke, who chuckled. They both offered Jason their right hand to shake.

When he glanced down to shake their hands, Jason's brow furrowed. Around their wrists were matching hemp bracelets. There were several other bands around their wrists, but these stood out because of the large brown beads that rested in the center. White symbols were etched across both of the beads, but a distinct image of a caduceus rested in the very center.

“Nice to meet you,” Jason said quietly, releasing Connor's hand. He tried to not let his eyes linger on the jewelry, not wanting to be caught staring, but something else caught his attention when Connor let his hand drop to his side.

All of the bracelets fell towards the boy's hand, revealing a very disturbing image of a carved cross on the boy's lightly tanned wrist. Jason's brow furrowed as he stared down at it.

Connor placed his arm behind his back, grabbing it with the other one. He was looking down when Jason shifted his gaze to look the brunet in the face. Travis had his lips pressed into a thin line, reaching up to rub his brother's back.

Jason turned to Luke. “What happened to him?”

The other blond now wore a solemn expression. “Exactly what you probably think happened.” His eyes flickered over to his brothers. “Go wait in the car, I'll be out in a second.”

Travis leaned in and whispered something to Connor before leading the other brunet out of the apartment. Luke crossed his arms, watching the two leave from the corner of his eye. Once the door was closed, he let out a sigh.

“It happened over the summer. Thalia and Bianca found him in a ditch, not far from where we live, shortly after the sun had gone down.” The blond ran his fingers through his hair with another sigh. “It looked a lot worse when we got him inside, there was a lot of blood. Dad was scared that they might have cut too deep.” Luke looked down, his eyes becoming unfocused. “They want to call us monsters, but you can see what they do. Hazel and Beckendorf, their families even got racial slurs before they married into our families.

“Connor said it was a bunch of guys on the football team.” The blond clenched his fists. “I wanted to beat them until their mothers could no longer recognize them.” There was a dark look in the blond's blue eyes when he looked up at Jason. “These are the people you sit with at lunch. These are the people who are trying to befriend you, trying to keep you from getting corrupted.”

“Why didn't you?” Luke's brow furrowed at Jason's question. “What stopped you from going after them?”

Luke crossed his arms over his chest, nodding his head. “Nico.” He raked his fingers through his hair with another nod. “Nico stopped me. Medea got angry because of that, saying that they didn't deserve the mercy.” He placed his hand on his chest. “I still stormed out of my house that night, ready to go hunt them down. But before I even started my car, I stopped myself. I told myself that if Nico could look past what they had done, then so could I.”

Jason's brow furrowed. “Why? What happened to him?”

Luke scraped his foot against the floor, cursing under his breath. “Nothing,” he whispered. He wiped a hand across his mouth. “Nothing, it's nothing. Just know that some messed up shit has gone on in this town. Quite frankly, I feel sorry for you. Because, chances are, whatever family you are here to look for, they are probably the same as everyone else in this town.”

Jason shook his head. “Doesn't really seem to matter. I've been informed there isn't anyone in town with the last name Grace.”

Luke nodded. “Didn't really want to disappoint you on your first day.” A small smirk threatened to appear on his lips. “Don't really like being the bearer of bad news.”

Jason eyed Luke for a moment. “Mrs. Dodds said similar stuff about you and the rest of your families. Is any of that true?” The boy raised a brow. “People going missing? Drownings? Odd occurrences?”

Luke chuckled dryly, staring down at his shoes. “The people around here are paranoid, Jason, and are just looking for someone to blame.” He looked up, his eyes no longer carrying that warmth they usually did. “Who are you going to believe, the Bible carrying witch-mongers?” He motioned towards the door. “There's evidence for you to actually see. My family and I didn't go looking for hate or to cause trouble.”

“I'm sorry.” Jason shook his head. “I didn't mean for it to come across like I was siding with them.”

Luke blew out a breath, placing his hands on the back of his neck. “Don't worry about it. It just gets stressful sometimes, trying to keep them all looked after. After Connor, we're doing our best to prevent something like that from happening again. It's why you'll usually see more than one of us around at a time.”

“What about Nico? He's by himself in Home Ec.”

“That was his decision.” Luke groaned and rubbed his neck. “He was taking something else, but when I signed up for the same course, he swapped at the last moment. That boy doesn't really like depending on others for help.” He smiled. “And I think that's a problem he has with you. According to him, you're 'acting a little too concerned'.”

“You seem to really care about him,” Jason pointed out.

The other blond chuckled. “Yeah, I guess you could say that. Well, like I said, we've known each other since we were born. I'd do anything for him.” He glanced Jason over, studying the boy in front of him. It made Jason uncomfortable for whatever reason. There was just something unspoken, uncertain, in the way Luke looked at him.

Jason cleared his throat. “So, Nico said he'd be okay with hanging out?”

Luke's smile returned. “Yeah, he mentioned that. I think a lot of us could use a day to relax. After what happened on Sunday, everyone has been a little on edge.” He scratched his cheek. “Saturday is fine with me. We can go down to the river, or something?” Jason nodded. Luke backed towards the door. “Text me and we'll discuss the details.”

“Sounds good.”

Jason's smile dropped as soon as the door was closed. Connor's scar was still seared into his mind. This town was insane. The faster he got out of here, the better off he would be.


	4. Jason in Slumberland

Dreams were very scarce for Jason these days, outside of the nightmare of losing his parents. If he did have them, he usually did not remember them the next morning. The blond wiped a hand down his sweat-covered chest with a sigh. He had woken up with a start, his heart pounding in his chest. The problem was that he just could not remember what he had been dreaming about. Nothing. Not even a piece of it.

His eyes shot up from examining himself at the sound of a knock at his door. Throwing back the covers, Jason shot out of bed. Grabbing some pajama bottoms, he stumbled his way into the living room. He threw open the door to be greeted by the bright sun.

“Good morning, Jason!” Came Luke's voice from behind the glare of the morning's light. Jason groaned and shielded his eyes. “You don't look ready to go.”

Jason rubbed his face. “What time is it?” He mumbled.

Luke shrugged. “Around ten. You better hurry up, we've got to go meet the others.”

Ruffling his hair, Jason glanced back into the house. “Is Ms. Mellie not up yet?”

“She doesn't seem to be home.” Luke motioned over to the small carport, where Ms. Mellie's car usually was stationed when she was there. “Her car isn't here. Maybe she went shopping, or to that prayer gathering they are having for the dead pastor's family.”

The younger of the two blonds nodded. “Okay, just let me grab a quick shower and get dressed.” He studied Luke for a moment. “You can wait inside.”

Luke grinned, slipping a hand into his pocket. A pair of shades covered his eyes, while flip flops were on his feet. A sleeveless blue shirt covered his torso, hanging loosely from his frame. “I got some of the gang in my car. Do you care if they come in as well?”

Jason let out a yawn. “Yeah, sure, that's fine.” He headed towards his room. “I'll be ready in like fifteen minutes.”

After getting himself cleaned up in the shower, Jason returned to the living room, a towel over his shoulder, to find three new inhabitants. Travis and Connor were poking around the TV, inspecting some of his movies that he and Ms. Mellie had watched last night, mumbling to each other. Nico was with Luke, leaning against the blond.

Luke brushed some of Nico's black hair away from his face. “I told you that you should have slept longer,” he whispered to the raven haired boy. “You didn't have to wake up when I did.”

“I wasn't tired.” Nico buried his face into the crook of Luke's neck. “And you're the one who woke me up when you tripped getting out of bed.”

“Maybe if you weren't all sprawled out, I wouldn't have had to work so hard to climb over you.” Luke's blue eyes glanced up to greet Jason. “All done?”

Nico quickly removed himself from Luke, shooting Jason a dark look. “Took you long enough.”

Jason shrugged, looking himself over. A light blue T-shirt rested on his torso, purple swim trunks hung from his waist, and his wet hair dusted across his forehead. “Gotta look good for you.”

Luke snorted, quickly receiving an elbow to the stomach from Nico. The brown-eyed boy narrowed his eyes in Jason's direction. “Cute,” he muttered dryly.

Jason smiled. “Thanks. I think I'm cute, too.”

The twins snickered in the corner. Nico shot them a glare that they missed. “I thought you didn't carry a Bible?” Jason blinked at him, cocking his head to the side. Nico reached behind him to pick up the Bible Mrs. Dodds had left him from the kitchen counter.

“Oh, that.” Jason shrugged. “Mrs. Dodds brought me food the other night, and left that for me. Said it would ward off the witches.”

Nico stared down at the book like he wanted to set it on fire. Jason wondered if the boy had even heard him. With a dark look, Nico tossed it aside. “Yes, it burned my skin just holding it,” he mumbled sarcastically. “The devil in me is trembling in fear by its presence.”

“They tried dumping holy water on him last year,” Travis called from his spot.

The pale boy crossed his arms. “At school.”

Connor chuckled. “But their reaction when it didn't do anything was quite amusing.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Speak for yourself.”

Luke smiled and slipped an arm around Nico. He winked over at Jason. “Ready to go? The others will be at the river already.” Jason nodded. “Cool.” He pulled out a set of keys and headed for the door. “You mind sitting in the back with the twins? Nico gets claustrophobic.”

“Does he need to know that?” Nico mumbled on his way out the door.

Jason gave Luke a lopsided smile, the two sharing a look. Jason locked the door. “Yeah, sure, doesn't bother me.”

The five of them made their way across the lawn, where Luke unlocked an older looking silver car. Jason offered to be the one to sit in the middle, but the twins declined his offer and let him have the window seat behind Luke. Jason moved his hand from the seat, a tear in the leather irritating him. He frowned as he stared at the door. This had definitely not been the car he had seen picking up the twins yesterday.

Jason's eyes roamed up to the front. After cranking the car and pulling out, Luke reached over and grabbed Nico's hand. The raven-haired haired boy frowned and pulled his hand away. Luke chanced a glance over at the shorter boy, who was now staring out the window.

Jason cleared his throat. “So, with all this talk at school, I was sort of wondering: how many families are in your...?” Jason blew out a breath. He really did not know what to call them.

“Coven?” Connor grinned at him. Nico turned in his seat to glare at him. The brunet just held up his hands in a shrug. “What? It's what everyone in town calls us.”

Travis grinned mischievously at Jason. “A coven of witches, damning the poor, innocent town to hell.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “Twelve. Twelve families.” His eyes met with Jason's electric blue ones in the mirror. “Our families have known each other for a very long time. So, with the rumors, people just started calling us a coven.” With his fingers, he started counting them off. “Jackson, di Angelo, Castellan, Chase, La Rue, Beauregard, Nightshade, Beckendorf, Gardner, Solace, Dare, and Burgundy.”

Jason scrunched his lips. “Like the guy in that Anchorman movie?”

Luke cracked up at that. “No.” He cleared his throat. “I wouldn't try saying that to him or his kids, they don't like it when you make fun of their name.”

“Seems like it could be hard to identify which people belong to a family, considering some have different last names.”

“Ah.” Luke made a face. “Yeah, I guess. Our parents get some bad rep for that.” The blond smiled over at Nico. “But, for the most part, our parents just have to remarry. And the child will often just take the mother's last name instead, like the twins here.” The twins grinned at Jason.

Jason turned to face the window, watching as all the trees passed them by. “So, why all the remarrying? Like, you're not much older than the twins, right?”

Luke nodded. “Two years. Um,” Luke licked his lips, “it's just-”

“None of his business,” Nico interrupted. The boy stared darkly at Jason. “We get enough judgment from the town, we don't need more of it.”

“I-I wasn't.” Jason shook his head. “Trust me, I didn't mean it like that.” Nico studied him. “I swear.”

Luke rolled his eyes and elbowed Nico in the shoulder. “Be nice. I'm sure he didn't mean it like that.” Nico just grunted. “It's not a big deal, Jason. My dad was just lonely after what happened to my mom, so that's how he ended up with the twins' mom so soon.” He smacked Nico's arm. “I thought you were going to try being nice today.”

The boy rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, turning to stare out the window. “Whatever,” Nico mumbled.

Luke smiled. “That's better.”

The town had fallen behind them a few miles back, and Luke had now turned onto a dirt road. Jason's eyes darted around the wooded area. There did not seem to be any houses nearby. “Are we leaving Aimes?”

Luke shook his head. “No, it's still technically in the town line. We're actually not far from where we live.” He pointed off to his right. “Just about two or three miles that way.” Jason glanced out the window again as they passed by a large field with an old, nearly collapsed, barn. “No one really comes out this way, probably because of us.”

Craning his neck, Jason could just barely make out the river off to the car's right. The car slowed down and turned a small curve. A small clearing sat in front of them, a large tree rising from the ground where two cars were parked. Luke parked and turned off the car. The twins grinned at each other and jumped out of the car.

Jason got out and looked around. To his left sat a small field, the grass left uncut. The twins ran down a hill, towards the sound of running water. Luke wrapped an arm around Nico's shoulder and motioned for Jason to follow them.

“So you guys own all of this land?” Jason asked, turning to look at Luke as they walked. “Do you have like big southern houses? Big fields and all that?”

Luke chuckled. He cleared his throat and moved his shades to rest on top of his head. “Our houses aren't that impressive. Just typical houses, I guess.” He shrugged. “Our families were just some of the first settlers here, so we got a bunch of the land. And with all the rumors, no one really wants to live near us.”

There was already a group of other kids there when they arrived. Jason recognized most of them, save for four. Nico's sister, Bianca, sat on the edge of the river, her feet dangling beneath the water. She smiled as Nico sat down beside her. Hazel sat on a blanket with a larger Asian kid, smiling and laughing, which caused the boy to blush. Two others were already in the water with Percy, who reminded Jason of some fish when he swam.

All that was left was the Native American girl that the Stolls decided needed to get in the water by throwing her in. Luke sat down next to Nico and leaned forward to talk to Bianca.

Jason stood there awkwardly, until Percy spotted him and waved at him. “Jason! Bro, come on and stop being unsociable.”

All eyes fell on Jason as he walked down the small hill. Luke was back on his feet in the next second and jogged up to Jason, putting an arm around the blue-eyed boy. “Sorry, I almost forgot to introduce you to the rest of our company here.” He walked up to Hazel and the boy she was with first. “So, I think you ran into Hazel already.”

The girl held out her hand. “We had a run in on his first day.”

Jason smiled and shook her hand. “Sorry to hear about Thursday.”

Hazel frowned. On Thursday, the kids at school had thought it would be funny to recreate the movie Carrie by throwing pig's blood on the poor girl. A tall and beautiful woman with long black hair that curled like some princess out of a fairytale had come to pick her up. And, thanks to Chiron, the kids had been suspended for a week.

Luke rubbed the back of his neck. “And this is her boyfriend, Frank Zhang.”

The larger kid stood up and eyed Jason over for a moment before a warm smile spread across his lips and he held out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Jason glanced down to take the kid's hand. He frowned as he shook it. A small gash ran across Frank's palm, looking rather unpleasant. “Jason Grace.” His brow furrowed. “That looks like a pretty bad cut. Shouldn't you get it looked at?”

“Ah.” Frank retracted his hand and rubbed it. He shrugged. “I'll be all right.” The large kid smiled before looking down at his hand. “I wasn't really paying attention and ended up cutting myself.”

Jason glanced from Frank's eyes to his hand. It did not look like a simple cut. But Jason kept his mouth shut, not wanting to butt into what could potentially be personal matters. Instead, he focused back on Hazel. “You okay?”

The girl nodded with a small smile. “Yeah, just took a few showers to get it all off.”

“Hazel here is actually Bianca and Nico's cousin,” Luke said.

“And Medea's, but we try not to talk about her,” Hazel joked. Drawing her legs up to her chest, she smiled. “Uncle Hades took me in after my momma's passing.”

“I'm sorry.” Jason scratched his cheek. “What happened to your dad?”

“He's the one who left me in the care of his brother.” The girl rested her chin on her knees as she stared up at Jason. “Hades said he had some business to look into.”

Jason glanced at Luke. “I take it Hades is Nico's father?”

The older blond chuckled and nodded. “It's where he gets his moody behavior.”

“I heard that!” Nico yelled over at them. Jason and Luke turned to find the boy glaring at them, his legs drawn up to his chest as he sat on the edge of the river.

Luke held his hand up to his mouth. “You were meant to!” He called back. The blond chuckled and shook his head. “Just as stubborn as the man, too.” Hazel laughed at that. “Let's see,” Luke tapped a finger to his lips, “next is Piper.”

The girl that the twins had tossed in had climbed out of the water and sat herself by Bianca. She had taken her top off, revealing a black and white bikini top. The girl was busy wringing her soaked shirt, glaring at the twins, when Luke and Jason walked up beside her.

Luke tapped her with his foot. The girl shook her wet hair before turning her head. Her eyes sparkled a bit when they locked with Jason's. “You must be the new kid that Luke has talked so much about.” She stood up and held out her hand. “I'm Piper McLean.”

“Jason.” The tall boy glanced over, finding Nico watching them from the corner of his eye. A frown sat on the pale boy's lips. “And, yeah, I just moved here.”

“Sucks to be you, I guess. Not the best place to get shipped off to.”

“Aw, don't say that, Piper,” Luke grinned. “I'm sure this place would be paradise, if we weren't around.”

Piper brushed some of her hair out her face with a smile. “Don't listen to him, these people would find something to hate on, even without us.” She reached up and twirled a braid of her hair, still smiling at Jason. “At least the town got a little more interesting.”

“Thanks,” Jason chuckled. He watched as Percy dove off a rock. When he turned back to Piper, she was frowning. “Everything okay?”

Her eyebrows furrowed and she glanced at Luke, who seemed as lost as Jason did. “Yeah,” she finally replied uncertainty. “Strange.”

“What is?”

“Nothing.” Her smile returned and she patted Jason on the arm. “I hope we don't scare you off too much, Jason.”

“Anyways,” Luke scratched his head, glancing back at Piper as he motioned to the girl next to her, “this is Bianca.” The girl in question was watching them in amusement, “She is one of my favorite people in the world.”

Bianca stood up with a roll of her eyes. Piper sat down. She turned her head ever so slightly to glance at Nico. The pale boy was staring at the water, his bangs falling into his eyes. Bianca scoffed and put her hands on her hips. “Don't lie, Luke Castellan, we all know you favor my brother.”

Luke shrugged. “He is a good cuddler.”

Nico shot the blond a death glare. “I do not cuddle.”

Luke's eyes shined with mischief. “It's not nice to lie.”

“I will put you six feet under, Castellan.” Nico was about to get up to act on his threat, but Bianca motioned for him to sit back down, laughing. “Asshole.”

Bianca sighed, a smile still gracing her lips. “Don't mind them.” She placed a hand on her chest. “I'm Bianca di Angelo, Nico's sister, if you haven't figured that out by our similar appearances.” She shook Jason's hand. “I'm also the one who inherited our mother's good looks.”

Luke grinned down at her brother. “Aw, but Nicky looks cute.”

The tips of said boy's ears turned pink. “Are you saying I look like a girl, Castellan?”

Bianca waved him off. “No, you look like our father. And he is very handsome.” She winked at Jason. “Please excuse the children.”

“Um, I'm older than you,” Luke pointed out.

Bianca playfully shoved his shoulder. “Only by a few months, and I still act more mature than you.”

“Nico, your sister is being mean to me.”

Nico rolled his eyes and the blond grinned. “Just finish the introductions.”

“Oh yeah.” Luke whistled, drawing the attention of Percy and the two strangers in the river. “Come here, guys... and girl.”

Swimming over, the extremely muscular young man with a deep, dark skin tone helped the girl with raven hair out of the water. She ran her fingers through it with the most endearing smile. She was tall and thin, with a pair of beautiful blue eyes. She seemed to radiate beauty, like flowers might actually start blooming as she walked by.

The guy took her arm. His biceps looked about as wide as Jason's waist. Each! The permanent scowl on his face didn't make Jason feel any less intimidated by the guy's size. His hands were as big as a catcher's mitt!

“This is Beckendorf,” Luke said, motioning to the giant in front of Jason.

“It's Charles, actually, but everyone calls me Beckendorf.” Beckendorf took Jason's hand and shook it. “Nice of you to join us, man.” He tossed his thumb over his shoulder. “This is Silena, my girlfriend.”

She smiled, her teeth pure white. “Nice to meet you. Silena Beauregard.” She nodded towards Piper. “And I do claim to be her older sister.”

More family relations that shared different surnames. It did not bother Jason; it was just proving hard for him to keep up with. His brow furrowed as he pointed towards Silena. “And Drew's sister, yeah?”

The girl chuckled. “Yes, unfortunately. Tanaka would be her last name.”

The blue-eyed boy scratched his head. “Why don't they just all take your dad's last name?”

“Actually,” Silena shifted her weight,” it's my mom's last name. I guess you could call us a matriarchal family.” She shrugged. “She's remarried a few times, and the town has now labeled her as the black widow.”

Percy frowned after he got done shaking the water out of his wet hair. “Your mom doesn't look anything like a spider, though.” Silena just shook her head with a smile.

Jason arched a brow. “They think she killed her spouses?”

Silena opened her mouth a few times. Her eyes darted over to Luke before blowing out a breath. “Um, yeah, they think that. But my mom is happy, and I guess that's what matters.” She motioned to Piper. “Still married to Tristan, and she seems happy with the guy.” The girl laughed. “I guess that's a bit of information to take in, but I do know that the town likes to gossip about my dear mother.”

Silena definitely spoke with more of a southern accent than most of the others. Not to be stereotypical, but he was not really surprised with a last name like Beauregard. He did feel a little bad for that thought. Jason reached up and scratched his chest. His eyes roamed around the river, until they landed on Nico.

The boy was studying him again. Jason's brow furrowed and he shifted his weight. Nico's eyes narrowed ever so slightly before he cast his eyes back to the water. When Jason looked away, he found Bianca staring at him curiously. Her dark eyes glanced over to her brother before returning her gaze to Jason. But before she could say anything, Luke spoke up.

“Well I'm ready for some swimming.”

When the blond yanked his shirt off, Jason finally got a look at the necklace Luke kept hidden beneath his shirt. Like Nico's, it was circular and looked like it might fit into something. A turquoise stone sat in the center, the Castellan name scrawled inside it. The caduceus that was on the twins' bracelets was etched above the name. A silver snake wrapped around the top and bottom of the stone.

Luke did not jump in with it on, though. He sat it down on top of his shirt before diving head first into the water. Silena, Beckendorf, Percy, and Piper were not wearing any noticeable jewelry. Though, they might have already removed it. The twins had probably taken their bracelets off as well.

Hazel removed her ring and sat it on the blanket. Standing to her feet, she walked over to the edge before sliding beneath the water. Jason noted that Frank wore a similar necklace to Luke and Nico, another crest.

A bright citrine stone bore the name 'La Rue', a boar sitting above it. Two silver boar tusks held the stone in place from the sides. It hung from a silver chain from around the Asian boy's neck.

Bianca's jewelry was in the form of a necklace. This one, however, was not similar to that of her brother's. This one was slightly smaller, and bore no name inside the black stone that sat in its center. Silver wings spread out from both sides of the stone, sort of reminding Jason of the snitch from the Harry Potter series. In the center sat the same skull that was in the rest of her family's jewelry.

Jason stood there for a moment, while the others had already begun swimming in the river, save for Nico. The jewelry seemed important somehow. They all wore it, but some carried unique pieces. Matching pieces? What was the significance, though?

“Are you going to swim or just stand there?”

Jason blinked and focused on Nico. “Um, just thinking.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Just don't hurt yourself too much.” He turned his attention back to the lake. “Judging us already?”

Jason stepped forward, coming to the edge of the river. He stared down at Nico. “No. I'm not working an angle, or whatever it is you might think I'm doing. Is it wrong for me to actually want to be friends with you guys?”

Nico's lips tilted down, though he chose not to look at Jason. “That's usually how it goes around here. There were a few that tried to be nice to us a couple of years back.” Nico paused and blew out a breath. His brown eyes finally returned to Jason, seeming brighter in the light of the sun. “But it turned out they just wanted to find some sort of evidence to prove the rumors about us. So, yeah, I'm a little skeptical.”

“I'm not like that.” Jason kicked his shoes off and sat down next to the boy, who regarded him carefully. “I'm not trying to mess with you guys. I really do feel bad for how the lot of you seem to be treated. I don't think you're weird.”

Nico chewed on his lip for a few seconds. His eyes turned to the others that were in the water. “We'll see if that lasts.”

Jason smiled at him. Nico glanced at him before scoffing and turning away. Jason chuckled and stood back up. Yanking his shirt over his head, he tossed it to the side. Nico's eyes darted back to the blond while he stretched his arms above his head.

Jason grinned. “See something you like? Feel free to stare.” Nico glared up at him. The blue-eyed boy chuckled and sat back down on the bank. “Thanks for letting me tag along, though.”

Nico's brown eyes studied him from the side. “You're very... odd.”

Jason smiled. “You're one to talk, or so I hear.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Well what can I say about rumors? They have to have some truth to them, right?” The corner of the boy's lip tilted up in a mischievous smirk. “Besides, the doom and gloom factor gives me extra credit when it comes to warding off the devout Bible boy.” His eyes darkened. “Though, I suppose there is some satisfaction in turning some religious straight boy gay.”

Jason smirked. “You can turn me anytime.”

Nico pulled back and huffed. “You're no fun.” Jason shrugged. “How am I supposed to get you to leave me alone if you're not freaked out by this stuff?” The pale boy scrunched his lips. “I guess Luke was right about you being gay.”

The blond's eyebrows rose in surprise. “I'm not gay.”

Nico waved him off. “Yeah, yeah. Bisexual. Sorry.” His eyes roamed over to Percy and Luke, who were trying to dunk each other. “Still, some people might think you're trying to hit on the town's gay kid.”

“Wouldn't want that, now would we?” Jason smiled when Nico turned back to him. “I'll take my chances.

Rolling his eyes, the raven haired boy shook his head. “You really need to stop flirting with me.”

Jason smirked. “I'm not, just picking. You make it fun.” He shrugged. “I already get the feeling you're not interested.”

It kind of looked like Nico wanted to retort to that, but he chose not to. Nico rolled his eyes again and stared off to where Luke was swimming with the others. “I'm sorry about not being able to find your family.” The corner of Nico's lips tilted down. “But maybe it's for the best. The people around here aren't your ideal family.” He glanced at the blond next to him. “Are you sure it's your father's parents? Maybe it's your mother, and that's why they don't have your last name.”

Jason shook his head. “My aunt specifically said it was my father's family I was looking for. I mean, it seems like a lot of kids in your families have different last names? Maybe mine-”

Nico shook his head. “Just our families, and I've never heard of any Graces.” He stared at Jason for a moment, a hard look in his eyes. “What happened to your parents anyways?”

Jason reached up and scratched his chest. “Gang violence.” Judging by the look on Nico's face, it was best if Jason continued with an explanation. He gave a lopsided smile, his heart sinking in his chest. “My parents had taken me out to celebrate something silly. It was my freshman year, and I had been very excited about getting elected class president, so my parents thought it best to take me out.” Brown and blue met when Jason looked up from the water to look into Nico's eyes. “But we ended up crossing into some gang territory on the way to get some ice cream.”

Nico looked down, holding one of his knees just under his chin. “I'm sorry,” he whispered.

Jason shook his head. “It's okay. It just happened so fast. I just remember seeing this one guy smoking under a streetlight. The next thing I know, he pulls out a gun and shoots my dad.” Jason ran his tongue along the inside of his mouth. “My mom died before the cops and ambulance could get there. I don't remember any of it, though. I was just told reports. I had gotten shot as well and blacked out. All I remember is... black.”

“Black?” Nico questioned.

The blond gave a nod. “Like wings. Kind of like a raven's feathers. Spread out around me, then they were gone. And...” He shut himself up before he blurted out about the strange boy in his dreams. “The next thing I remember is waking up in the emergency room several hours later.” Jason's eyes seemed far off as he watched the river flowing past them. “Not the best way to start off high school,” he said with a strained laugh. He cleared his throat and looked back over to Nico.

Nico's brow furrowed as he stared at Jason. “I, uh...I'm sorry. Believe me, I know what it's like to have someone stolen from you.”

Jason and Nico stood up. He tilted his head to the side and scratched his cheek. “Oh yeah? So, like, is that why Luke stopped himself from going to punch those football kids?” Jason asked innocently. Nico stiffened. “I mean, I figure it had to be something big to influence him like that. Did something like that happen before? Or did someone die?”

Nico's eyes darkened. Jason's eyes widened, receiving a shove from Nico. Jason's arms flailed as he fell backwards, splashing into the water. He surfaced and spit out some water. He stared at the brown-eyed boy as he walked away.

“What did I do?”

\-------------------------------------------

Jason found himself sitting on a rock about an hour later. He swam down the river a bit with Percy before turning around and walking back on the shoreline. It was so quiet out here, save for the sound of the river and the yelling of teenagers.

He liked to think himself an 'outdoors' type of guy, but he had never really spent time in nature. Today had been a little different. Nature could be evil, as it turned out. During his walk back, he and Percy had even encountered a pissed off squirrel, who apparently did not like their trespassing underneath its tree. Jason had received an acorn to the face for his crimes.

And, when he had gotten back in the river, the twins had decided to tell him that it was not uncommon for there to be poisonous snakes in the river. Not long after that, something had brushed against his leg in the water. And that was how Jason had ended up on top of his rock, glaring at Percy.

But, looking around, he could see the upside to living in a place like this. Part of him wondered why his father left this place to begin with. It was so easy to see the sky at night, to stare up at the stars. His father used to take him out of the city to stare at the stars for hours, showing Jason each of the constellations.

He wondered how different his life would have been if his parents had raised him here.

Would things have been different for him? Maybe his parents would still be alive. But he might have ended up like the rest of this town, a bigot that persecuted these families for being different. Not likely, Jason thought to himself. His parents had never really been the type to do that. But maybe that was why they left. Perhaps Jason's father did not agree with the rest of his family.

Jason's blue eyes fell upon Nico, who had not once gotten in the water. The boy still sat on the shoreline, dipping his feet beneath the water. Jason frowned to himself as he watched the pale boy. He grunted and pulled his legs up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them.

What was it that drew him to Nico in the first place? He had been paying the boy a lot of attention, and he could not really put his finger on why that was. There was just something about the di Angelo boy that made Jason want to be his friend. Nico seemed so isolated, so sad. It did not seem right to Jason that a boy like Nico should be this way.

Nico was defensive and guarded, with plenty of good reason. He could be cold as well, but Jason was starting to see the boy underneath. It just took the friends that Nico did have to see it.

Jason was drawn from his thoughts by a sweet sound to his ear, coming from a place he had not been expecting. Bianca shrieked and tossed a fish into the water. The twins cackled behind her, quickly receiving a glare from the girl. But it had been Nico's laughter that had drawn Jason's attention.

The boy laughed and smiled, watching his sister chase after Travis and Connor. The boy drew his legs up to his chest and calmed his laughter. But Nico kept smiling, and it was a nice sight to behold for Jason. He had been starting to think that Nico was incapable of such an action.

Luke plopped down next to Nico and offered him a Coke, which the boy declined. The blond reclined on his elbows, taking a quick drink himself. Jason suddenly felt like he was intruding. While they were out in the open, Jason was starting to think that there might have been some truth to the rumors about the two of them. They did seem a little closer than friends.

Nico did not seem as embarrassed with looking at Luke's body, like he had with Jason's own. He even placed a hand on Luke's bare stomach. The blond smiled and held his hand out towards Nico's face, where the pale boy reached out and intertwined their fingers. Nico frowned and narrowed his eyes at something Luke said.

Jason slipped back into the water and swam closer. Nico shook his head at something. Luke sighed and jumped to his feet before reaching down and yanking Nico up with him. By the time Jason reached the edge of the river, Luke had already taken Nico over to a basket of food that one of the other kids must have brought.

Jason pulled himself out of the water and reached for his towel, wiping it across his face. Luke held out a sandwich, which Nico seemed reluctant to take. “Nico, you need to eat something. I know you didn't eat breakfast.” Nico still did not take it. “If you're feeling light headed, you should eat something.”

“I'm not hungry,” Nico mumbled, almost to the point where Jason had to strain to hear.

Luke grabbed Nico's face with his free hand and made the boy look up at him. “What's going on, Nico?” The boy shook his head in response. “Nico.” Luke let out a sigh. “You were pretty insistent about sleeping over last night. I knew something was bothering you, I just didn't want to say anything.”

“Nothing's different.”

“I've known you since you were born, Nico,” Luke hissed. He grabbed Nico's wrist when the boy tried to move away. “You tell me everything, like I do you, you can tell me this. I do notice small changes in your behavior.”

“You're acting like me asking to sleep over, or not wanting to eat, is uncommon.” Nico yanked his arm free. “I've never kept what bothers me from you, you've known ever since it started happening.”

Luke held out the sandwich again, and Nico finally accepted it. The blond sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Yes but you've been getting worse. And after last weekend, I'm very concerned. Why are they doing this to you?”

“Something's wrong, I just haven't figured out what.” Nico stared down at the sandwich that he had been given. “There's something wrong in-” Nico shivered. The boy's head darted towards the woods.

Luke followed Nico's gaze and frowned. “What?”

Without responding, Nico took off walking towards the border of the woods, Luke following after him. Jason craned his neck to stare after them, debating on going to see what was wrong.

“Drink?”

Jason jolted around to find Bianca sitting beside him. She smiled at him and held out a Sprite. “Um,” Jason blinked a few times, “no thanks.” He frowned. “Everything all right?” He tossed his thumb over to where her brother and Luke had gone.

Bianca waved it off. “I'm sure everything is fine. Maybe Nico just heard something.” She opened the Sprite for herself. “You want anything at all? We have plenty of food and drinks.”

“I'm fine.” Jason smiled at her. He glanced over to where the two boys had disappeared into the woods a final time. “Is Nico all right?” Bianca cocked her head to the side. “It doesn't seem like he sleeps very much, and I've seen Luke try to get him to eat more twice now.”

Bianca sighed and took a sip of her drink. “He hasn't been the same since our mom passed. And on top of that... well, he just went through some changes around thirteen.” She offered a sad smile and a shrug. “Luke's been helping me look after him ever since mom died.”

Suddenly, Jason felt like an ass. He flinched and wanted to kick himself. He had been so stupid. They had just been talking about his own parents, and Jason had completely missed the signs that Nico had lost a parent as well. As if the fact that Nico had a stepmother might not have been a clue already.

“I'm sorry,” Jason whispered. “Must've been hard.”

The girl nodded. “Nico took it pretty harshly. It was getting close to his thirteenth birthday at the time, and in our family that's a pretty big age. So he was pretty depressed when his birthday finally came around.” She smiled. “I wouldn't go showing him pity, though. I know he can be sad to look at sometimes, but that doesn't make my brother weak. And he's too stubborn and proud to accept someone's pity or worry.”

Jason chuckled. “I'm just trying to be his friend, if he'll let me.”

Bianca observed him in silence. She placed her drink down before opening her mouth. “If that's all you're after.”

Jason blinked, not understanding what she meant at first. And then it hit him. The tips of his ears turned pink. “Oh! No, um, I just am interested in getting to know him is all.” Bianca arched a brow at him. “He just seemed lonely in class, and I wanted to be his friend.” He cleared his throat. “I didn't really like seeing how others were treating him. I guess I can get a little protective of people who are getting picked on.”

Bianca smiled warmly. “Yeah, he says you're trying to be 'some knight in shining armor', and that doesn't really fly with him. The last thing my brother wants is to be treated like a princess.”

Jason's brow furrowed as he watched the water ripples that his moving feet were causing. Why did she need to tell him that? Jason just wanted to be friends with Nico, not date him. And even if he did, it seemed Luke already had the boy claimed. Nico did not seem like his type: resistant to affection, touch, and was probably as cold as ice when it came to being intimate. Not really the type of person Jason would be interested in dating.

Bianca's eyebrows rose as her phone went off. She reached behind her and grabbed her phone from where it lay in her bunched up shirt in the grass. “Yes, Papa?” The way she said it was more spaced out, popping her lips in the middle of the nickname. Her brow furrowed. “Okay, I'll let them know.” She sighed and closed her phone. “Jason, would you mind going to fetch my brother? Something's come up, and we need to get home.”

Jason nodded and jumped up, heading in the last direction he had seen Luke and Nico go. The trees were fairly spread out, yet close enough that they kept out most of the sunlight. The blond looked up at the sound of thunder. The storm had come in fast, he thought to himself. Grey clouds were closing in fast.

He found Nico leaning against a tree. Luke stood about four feet in front of him, arms crossed. Nico's eyes were narrowed. The shadow of the trees seemed to reach out and blanket him in darkness. A faint chill ran across Jason's nearly naked form. He wrapped his arms around himself and moved to step closer, ready to call out to the two boys, but Nico snapped first.

“Just leave me alone.” The boy glared at the blond in front of him, who was not really meeting Nico's gaze. “I don't care, I've had enough of this.”

“Nico, keep your voice down,” Luke hissed.

Nico's head slowly turned, like he was cracking his neck. The boy closed his eyes and shivered. “Fucking hell,” he said, barely above a whisper. Another chilly breeze hit Jason before Nico's head jerked towards him. Nico's eyes were so dark and piercing, like a knife. “What the hell are you doing out here?”

Luke cleared his throat and moved towards where Jason stood beside a tree. “Sorry about that, Jason, Nico and I were having a talk.” He glanced behind him. Nico was staring at the tree opposite him. “He's just a little cranky today. What's up?”

“Um,” Jason glanced over to Nico before returning his eyes to Luke, “Bianca wanted me to get you. Nico's dad called, said you all needed to come home.”

Luke and Nico looked at each other. Nico cursed under his breath and took off towards the river. Luke's normally happy face seemed serious all of a sudden. “I guess I need to get you home.” He scratched his head. “All right, let's get going.”

When they got back, everyone had gotten dressed. As predicted, Silena, Percy, Piper, and Beckendorf had their own pieces of jewelry. Piper was slipping on a golden bangle that had small amethysts around its center. On the bottom hung several charms: a dove, a seashell, and the Venus symbol.

Percy wore a necklace like Nico and Luke. The stone matched his eyes, a deep sea-green with a trident in the middle and the name 'Jackson' etched below it. On the four corners were actual pearls encased in tiny seashells. Along with it was another necklace, this one had a pirate's doubloon on it. Like an actual, authentic doubloon with a pirate skull on it. Except this one had a trident slashed across its face.

Silena was putting in a pair of amethyst earrings, the same necklace that intricate type of necklace hung from her neck. This too had an amethyst stone in it, the Beauregard name inscribed beneath it. A dove had been drawn above the name. The golden medallion itself had four prongs that went towards the center to hold the stone in place.

Beckendorf wore a similar necklace as well, his being made of what looked like iron. His surname had been written underneath a garnet stone. A hammer overlaying a fire had been drawn above the name. A black chain had been melded over the top and bottom of the garnet stone.

Nico was already climbing into a small black car. Luke grabbed the passenger door that the boy was about to close. “You're gonna head over already?” Nico nodded at him. “Are you still coming over tonight?”

“Yeah, I'll be there.”

Luke nodded. He tapped the door and closed it for Nico. Bianca smiled at him from the other side of the car's roof. “I'll tell your dad that you'll be there shortly,” she said.

“Thanks.” Luke gave her a nod. Hazel, Percy, and Frank climbed into the back. The blond turned and headed towards where Jason was standing at his car. Luke fished the keys out of his pocket, waving at Beckendorf, Silena, and Piper as they drove off in the other car.

The twins were already seated in the back when Jason and Luke got in. Jason turned to the other blond. “Everything okay?”

“Um, yeah,” Luke said softly. He cranked the car, looking unconvinced of his answer. “Just an issue over our families' cemetery plot.”

Jason's brow furrowed as he watched the wooded area pass by. How did Luke know there was an issue at a cemetery? Bianca had only gotten a phone call, and had not said anything besides the fact that they all needed to go home.

Thunder boomed overhead. The storm clouds blotted out the sunny sky that had been there just an hour earlier. “You think we could hang out tomorrow, or something?”

“Not sure yet.” Luke's eyes refused to leave the road, clearly not caring to abide the speed limit.

Travis sat forward in his seat. “You know what this means, right?” Luke glanced at him in the rear-view mirror, cocking an eyebrow. Travis glanced at his twin.

The other brunet scrunched his lips. “He'll be coming in.” His blue eyes fell upon Travis. “You think Nico still wants to punch him?”

Luke let out a sigh. “Both of you, be quiet. I know he'll be coming up from New Orleans.”

Travis shrugged. “Just saying. You'll have to see him, since you're a first.”

Jason turned to face Luke. “First at what? Who's coming?”

“Oh, uh, nothing.” Luke scratched his cheek. He seemed to forget Jason had been in the car. “Just a term we use.” He shot a glare at the twins. “Just an old friend coming to visit.”

The rest of the car ride was quiet. Whoever the twins had brought up, clearly was not someone Luke was going to be happy seeing. The blond kept tightening his grip on the steering wheel as he drove back. Jason glanced back at the twins once during the drive, wondering why they were being quiet. Travis had his chin propped up and was staring out the window, while Connor was resting on his shoulder.

By the time they got back, it looked like it might start raining at any second. Jason opened his door and got out, crouching down to stare at Luke. “Thanks for today, I had fun.”

Luke smiled. “No problem, man. Sorry we had to cut it short, but I'm sure we can hangout again.” He released a breath. “You know, you're welcome to eat lunch with us, if you want.”

Jason blinked. “Thanks.” He held up his hand in a wave. “I guess I'll see you Monday, if I don't see you before then.”

Luke looked serious again. “Yeah.”

Jason shut the door and stood up straight, stretching his arms. He adjusted the towel on his shoulder and headed across the lawn.

“Jason!”

The blond turned to find Kinzie, Eros, and Octavian climbing out of a car. Octavian grabbed a brown bag from the backseat and tucked it under his arm. Jason tilted his head to the side slightly as they jogged up the pathway to the house.

“Um, hi?” He finally said.

“Sorry for dropping by all unannounced like this, but you weren't answering your phone,” Kinzie replied.

“Ah.” Jason patted himself, even though his trunks didn't have any pockets. “I guess I left my phone here.” It's not like he really needed it, the only person that might have called was Ms. Mellie, who still did not seem to be home. “What's up?”

“A lot of our parents are still up at the church,” Eros explained. He crossed his arms as he glanced up at the sky. “Since it's probably going to rain soon, they will probably stay there until it calms down. Ms. Mellie said to tell you to warm something up from the fridge.”

“Oh.”

Kinzie patted him on the shoulder. “Don't worry about that now, sugar. I'll whip us up something, if you don't mind.” She waited for Jason to open the door. “We just thought we'd swing by, since you weren't at church. Everything all right?”

Putting his keys down on a nearby table, Jason nodded. “Yep. Just getting home before the rain starts.”

Octavian placed the bag he had been carrying on the dining table. “Out with those weirdos? They didn't try to sacrifice you, did they?”

“Octavian, shut up,” Eros sighed. He calmly removed his jacket and sat down on the couch. “I brought some movies.” From his jacket, he pulled out three DVDs. “Thought we could watch something in the storm.”

A smirk spread across Octavian's mouth as he pulled a corkscrew from a drawer. “And I brought some wine. Maybe we could sit around and tell some ghost stories.”

It caught Jason a little off-guard to hear that. He blinked for a second before moving over to peer into the bag. Sure enough, there was a bottle of red wine inside. “What, you guys aren't against drinking.”

“To be fair,” Kinzie began, “Jesus turned water into wine. That liquor and beer, though, is the devil's drinking water.”

“Uh-huh.” Jason could not help but smile out of how ridiculous that sounded.

Octavian pulled out the wine, while Kinzie worked on finding something to cook. After she had some pots on the stove, her eyes flickered up to Jason. “You know, the Castellans are like demons themselves, trouble incarnate. Those boys are never up to any good, Jason, and they're bound to get you in trouble as well.”

Jason was starting to not like having these conversations. “They don't seem that bad. Have any of you tried to get to know them?”

Octavian scoffed. “No, but we've seen enough from them. Luke, the ringleader for the Castellan brood, didn't always have that scar, you know. Personally, I think his family put him through some Satanic ritual that involved knives.”

Kinzie nodded. “Or those unexplained animal attacks.” She shook her head. “The people that were attacked said the animals' eyes looked almost human. Tell me that isn't bizarre.”

Jason's fists clenched from where he stood from the other side of the kitchen counter. “Or what about Connor having a cross carved into his wrist?”

Kinzie pursed her lips. “I wasn't part of that.”

“Though some of those kids couldn't even defend themselves from those allegations,” Octavian mumbled.

Jason's brow furrowed. “What?”

“Oh, they didn't tell you?” Kinzie shook her head, tossing a glance at Eros, who just shook his head. “Those 'horrible' kids that 'supposedly' did that ended up in the hospital not even a week later. Their bus wrecked on the way to a game. All of them were taken to the hospital, some ended up severely injured. One of them now has to use a wheelchair.”

Octavian laced his fingers in front of his face, leaning forward. “And two of them died, bled out internally.” He shrugged. “The rest were asked what happened, but to this day, none of them will comment on the accident.”

“You can't just blame them for an accident, though.” Jason shook his head. “That doesn't seem right.”

“Jason,” Kinzie said, reaching across the counter to touch his arm, “those kids are demons. And you're going to end up hurt or dead if you keep hanging around them. We're just trying to help. I don't want to see the devil get a hold of you.”

Jason rubbed his face. Why hadn't Luke mentioned this to him? Luke wouldn't have tampered with the bus, would he? There had to be people on that bus that were not involved with the attack on Connor. Luke and the others would not do that, would they?

“Luke said that he never went after them after finding out.”

Octavian stood up. “The servants of the devil don't have to go anywhere, not with those dark rituals.” He slipped his hands into his pocket. “You should go checkout the courthouse. There are a lot of records on the strange happenings of this town. Perhaps then you'll start to believe the truth about these friends you're making.”

“Jesus,” Eros scoffed, finally standing up. “Do you honestly hear yourself? Do you honestly believe that they used magic? What's next, moving things with their minds?” He raised his eyebrows at Octavian, who crossed his arms in annoyance. “You sound ridiculous. We all know there's no such thing as real magic.”

“Doesn't mean they can't plea with some demon.”

Kinzie clanged a wooden spoon to a pot. “How about we just have a nice night?”

“I choose that option,” Jason quickly agreed. Eros and Octavian glared at each other for a moment before both nodding.

By the time dinner was finished, the rain had started to pour down. The four of them sat down around the coffee table in front of the couch and turned on the TV. At least Jason got to pick out the movie. Octavian placed four wine glasses next to their plates.

“No thanks, I don't want any,” Eros said as Octavian tried to pour him some.

Octavian chuckled. “We won't tell daddy dearest, if that's what you're worried about. We know he rides your ass hard enough as it is.”

Eros just shook his head and covered the glass. “That's not it. I just don't like the taste.”

Octavian shrugged and sat down, pouring his own glass. “More for the rest of us then.” He picked up his glass and motioned to the TV. “Play that movie and let's have a good night.”

\-----------------------------------

There were a lot of screams. Jason jerked around, finding himself inside of a dark house. A door was kicked in by men carrying torches. A woman was yanked from her bed, a silver necklace being ripped from her neck. The pentagram symbol spun on the wooden floor until it fell flat. The house was burned to the ground with the woman and her family inside.

The scene changed around Jason. He stood out in a field; canon and gunfire could be heard in the distance. A large, old house was behind him, an army of Union soldiers slowly surrounding the place. The fields were being burned. A woman with long, flowing dark hair emerged from the house.

She held a hand up and the fire began to swirl and engulf the soldiers. The earth itself began to open up and swallow men as they turned to run away. The woman looked on with a glass of wine in hand. Her long hair flowed behind her gracefully as she turned to walk back inside the house, the sounds of dying soldiers still filling the air.

Jason jerked forward as his body was torn from the old plantation house. He jerked his head around as he found himself standing in a crowd of oddly dressed people. They reminded him of the pilgrims. The women had their hair up in buns and their bodies almost completely covered by self-made dresses. The men wore knee-length breeches with long vests and shirts. Both genders had shiny buckles on their shoes.

A woman with an elegant and timeless face stood among a small group of people. She had an arm around a teenage boy around Jason's age. His eyes were dark and his black bangs just barely hung into his eyes, the back of it up in a ponytail.

“No!”

Jason spun around to find a woman being dragged from a cart towards a barrel beneath a tree. The man in front of her dragged her by her hair, causing the young woman to stumble every few feet. She wore rags and had no shoes on. She was brought in front of the barrel, where people bowed their heads.

“Where is my family now?” She spat bitterly. “A curse upon you all.” A faint wind blew in the air. “A curse on our family!” She spat on the ground, several people in the front of the crowd taking a step back. “The coven will burn, bleed from the inside. You will be your own undoing, this I swear!”

She yanked a knife from the man that had dragged her up there and slit her palm before anyone could react. As the dagger was torn from her hand, she held her palm up and had a laugh. The wind howled as her hands were bound behind her back.

“There is no family in this coven!” She yelled just before the barrel was kicked out from under her.

Jason's breath hitched as the world was yanked out from under him. His hair whipped in his face, dead leaves being blown by. The boy yelled as his body was pulled into darkness, down into the earth. He stumbled when his feet came in contact with the ground.

Blue eyes blinked as they stared at a stone door in front of him. Glancing around, he found small torches burning on the walls. Pillars held the ceiling up, droplets of water occasionally falling from it. Old skulls protruded from the wall.

On the stone door were carvings, written in a language that Jason could not understand. There was no handle, though, no way of visibly opening it. There were only two things Jason could see upon this door. The first were three markings in the very center. Two crescent shapes sat on each side of a circular indention that represented a full moon. The second was a small stone bowl protruded from the door in its center, a dagger placed on top of it.

A cold shiver ran down his spine. Rubbing his arms, Jason turned around to find the ghostly boy from all of his dreams. The boy just stared at him, or it seemed like he was. It was just so hard to make out his face. He stepped around Jason and placed a hand on his chest before putting his palm onto the stone door. No sound came out of his mouth, but he kept patting his hand against the door, like he was trying to tell Jason something. Then he reached out and touched Jason and it felt like his entire body was turned to ice.

Jason was yanked backwards, yelling loudly. He was pulled through the air and flung out into the night sky. He tumbled through the grass and leaves. A large oak door was slammed in his face. An old house now stood before him. Not old in the sense that it might fall apart soon, but that it looked like it had stood there for many years and still managed to look freshly built.

The ghost boy sat on top of him for a few seconds and then helped Jason to his feet. Slowly, Jason reached out to touch him, only for his hand to pass right through. Even though no physical contact was made, Jason's hand was left feeling like he had dipped it in ice water. The boy reached up and cupped Jason's face with his ghostly fingers. He then motioned to the giant house.

There were no cracks in its architecture, no flaw that Jason could find. Vines wrapped around some of the pillars on the large porch, and even stretched out across portions of the walls and windows. A small lantern sat beside the door, encased in glass. The stone steps leading up to the door were completely spotless.

Jason stared down at the boy again in confusion, but he was not there. He glanced back to the porch. The boy stood there, his held stretched out for Jason. His hair seemed to flow in the wind, even though there was none. Even though he did not open his mouth, it was like Jason could hear the ghost boy in his head. Like it was far off in the distance.

“Come back to me.”

Jason's eyes widened as he was pulled towards the door.

Jason jerked up in bed, breathing heavily. His eyes were wild as he searched around his room, finding himself back in his bedroom. He let out a breath and fell back on his pillow. The boy made a face as he wiped a hand across his sweaty torso.

He tossed the covers back and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Blowing out a breath, Jason stood up and padded towards the kitchen. He made a face and reached around to adjust the backside of his boxers, which wanted to stick to his butt.

The blue-eyed boy grabbed a glass from a cabinet and ran it under the faucet before raising it to his lips for a drink of water. He was about to refill his glass when he heard the floor creak behind him. Shit, had he woken up Ms. Mellie?

“Sorry if I woke you up, I just needed a drink. Had a nightmare.” No answer. Jason frowned and turned around. There was no one there. “Ms. Mellie?”

Squinting into the darkness, Jason tried to see anything. Wouldn't Ms. Mellie have turned the hall light on?

“Hello?”

Silence. Jason scratched his back, checking behind him. Nothing. He froze at the sound of a door slowly closing. Inching towards his bedroom, he turned the corner and flipped on the light.

The closet door tapped against the wall, but Jason could not see anyone nearby it. Ms. Mellie's door was still shut. Walking over, he flipped the switch and peered inside the closet. No one was there. His breath hitched, a chill running down his spine, at the sound of something scraping against the wall in the hallway. It was like someone was dragging their nails along the surface, slowly making their way towards Jason's bedroom.

Creeping over to his bed, Jason slowly reached out and grabbed his baseball bat. The sound stopped and Jason raised it behind his head. He waited, but nothing appeared in the doorway. Swallowing a lump in his throat, Jason walked towards the hallway and peered out the door.

There was no one to be found.

After inspecting every inch of the place, Jason collapsed on the couch. He had peered into Ms. Mellie's room, but she had been fast asleep. The blond ran a hand through his hair as he glanced at the door. It was still locked, just like Ms. Mellie had left it when she got home. There had been no windows open, no sign of anything amiss. But Jason still knew what he had heard.

Leaning forward, Jason buried his face in his hands. He glanced at a clock. It was just a little past three in the morning. He was not going to be able to go back to sleep. Jason was wide awake now, his heart still pounding in his chest. Releasing a breath, he got up and headed towards his bedroom.

Grabbing an old shirt, Jason slipped it on with some shorts. He went back into the living room, where he slid his feet into some tennis shoes. Making sure to leave a note for Ms. Mellie and grab his keys and iPod, the blue-eyed boy slipped out of the house.

It was still the dead of night. There was a dead silence filling the air as Jason walked down the street. A heavy fog had come in at some point during the night. The tall youth slipped his earbuds in before taking off in a jog.

The athletic boy jogged towards the school. He found himself on the track field, where he ran in an attempt to clear his head. Perhaps that dream had just gotten to him. It had felt like he had actually been there, he had even been able to smell the smoke.

After an hour of swapping between jogging, walking, and running, Jason laid himself down in the grass, not caring that it was wet. His heart pounded against his chest, his adrenaline still pumping. A sense of familiarity was in that dream, but he just was not able to place his finger on it. He scrunched his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose. It was like a fog was already covering his mind. His arms dropped to his sides with a heavy sigh. His breathing soon slowed as he drifted off to sleep.

Jason jumped up when the sprinklers went off. He yelled and dashed off of the grass. He was not that soaked, thankfully. Scrunching his eyes, he glanced up. The sun was just breaking the horizon, so he could not have been asleep more than two hours. But even so, his mind was still spinning.

He took off jogging again. Jason ran for a long time, not really paying attention to where he was going. Some part of his mind acknowledged that he missed the turn to Ms. Mellie's house, but he did not stop running. His legs carried him through the woods and back onto the road, through a small field, and then onto an old dirt road. Jason slowed down when he ended up back in the woods.

He bent over and rested his hands on his knees, panting heavily. His body was completely drenched in sweat now, but he had never felt more awake. When he stood up, he found an end to the woods. Jason staggered forward.

An old, black iron gate stood before him. Inside of it were tombstones, both new and old. There were even marble statues in front of some of the graves. At the very center, built partially into the ground, was a crypt of some kind. Jason swallowed and walked around for a bit.

When he found the entrance, he stepped inside, the grate creaking on him. He moved quietly through the graveyard until he stood in front of the crypt. There were no special markings on it, not even a family name to decipher if it belonged to a certain family. A stone door had been placed there to block entry. In the center were odd lines and half triangles. Two small pillars had been crafted into the stone of the entryway.

Jason cocked his head to the side, leaning in to inspect the markings on the door. He could not decipher what they were supposed to do. They weren't words from any sort of language, that much he knew. They were just lines and pieces of triangles. Jason slowly reached out and ran his fingers across one of the triangle shapes.

“Mighty early for a young lad like yourself to be out in a cemetery, wouldn't you say?”

Jason nearly jumped out of his skin, jerking his hand back. He spun around to be greeted by a black and platinum tie. He slowly looked up about two inches to be met by a pair of dark eyes of a madman. The man's black hair was cut short and styled, a small beard covering his chin. He was also very pale, like he had not seen the sun in many years.

But he had not sounded angry when he had spoken to Jason. There was just a hint of southern drawl in his voice, giving it a rich but oily feel. However, he was watching Jason very closely, unsure of the youth's presence. Jason swallowed and looked down, noting the man was carrying a bouquet of roses.

The man gave him a toothless smile and reached out to pat the stone of the crypt. “Nice structure, isn't she?”

“Um,” Jason swallowed, “yes, sir.”

The man pressed his lips together, assessing Jason's appearance. “Isn't it a little early for someone as young as you to be running about? I'd imagine you'd prefer to still be in bed, or perhaps sitting in front of a television set, playing on a video game.”

The way the man had pronounced his last two words made Jason cock his head to the side. The pale man had enunciated every syllable in video games.

“Gonna catch a cold, boy, standing around here with your mouth agape like that.” The man nodded, eyeing Jason again. “Better run along, lest you catch one.”

Did anyone even say lest anymore?

Jason rubbed the back of his neck. “I'm sorry, I was just out for a run.” He motioned with his hands. “I just moved to town, and I'm not really familiar with the area, so I was just wandering around.”

The man stroked his beard, still examining Jason. “New in town, you say?”

Jason slowly nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Not breaking eye contact with the blond, the strange man pointed to his right. “Back through the gate, take the old-looking path. You'll come to a road, it'll take you back towards town.”

“Thank you.”

The man hummed in response. Jason briskly walked away from the man and the crypt, only turning to look when he was closing the gate. The man was crouched down in front of a grave, where he placed the roses carefully. Jason lowered his gaze and quickly headed the way he had been instructed.

When he reached the road, Jason stopped. Down the road a piece, on his left, he could barely make out an iron gate. Houses, Jason thought. Was he nearby Luke and the others' houses? He must have run further than he originally thought. Letting out a yawn, Jason began his trek back towards town.

The fog was still lingering in the town when Jason got back to the house. Ms. Mellie was cooking breakfast when he arrived. “How was your run?” She greeted him.

The blond let out a groan. “Long, but helpful.” He placed his hands on the counter as he watched the woman cook. “You didn't wake up at some point last night, did you?”

She glanced over her shoulder and shook her head. “Not that I recall. Why don't you go ahead and wash up, sweetie? Breakfast will be ready when you're finished.”

That sounded like the best idea ever. Jason entered the bathroom and stripped down, turning on the shower. He let out a groan as the hot water cascaded down his body. He had not realized how sore he was until he had finally stopped running.

After breakfast, Jason returned to his room. Laying down on his bed, the blond picked up his phone and scrolled through his contacts. He found the one he was looking for and clicked dial.

It rang a few times before Luke picked up with a groan. “Jason?” Came the blond's rough voice. He must have just woken up, Jason thought. “What's up? It's early.”

“Um, sorry.” He glanced at a clock. It was just a little past eight now. “I was seeing if everything was all right? You guys seemed a little upset yesterday.”

“Um, yeah, everything is fine. It turned out to be nothing. Ow!” Luke hissed and pulled the phone away from his mouth, mumbling something that Jason was unable to make out.

There was a groan, followed by a shifting nearby Luke. “I'm still trying to sleep, shut up,” came Nico's groggy voice.

“Sorry, sorry,” Luke mumbled. “One second, Jason.”

Jason heard the bed shift before footsteps could be heard. A door opened and closed, and then it sounded like the blond was walking down the stairs. Jason guessed that Nico really did sleep in the same bed as Luke. He had just thought they had been joking yesterday, but he supposed this did mean they were dating.

Luke cleared his throat. “Sorry about that. Yeah, don't worry, it turned out to be nothing. An old friend of Nico's family thought he saw someone trespassing. Thought there might be some trouble.”

“Oh, good.” Jason nodded his head, even though Luke could not see it. “So, are you busy today? Maybe we could hang out again.”

Luke chuckled. He let out a groan. “I'd really like to, but I've got some work I've got to get caught up on. My dad will kill me if I don't.” The blond cleared his throat again. “Most of us are going to be busy today.”

Jason's shoulders slumped. “Oh. Well, that's okay. Um, I guess I'll try to find something to do.”

“Sorry, man. If we find some time, I'll give you a call, yeah?”

“That's fine,” Jason whispered.

“Luke, light of my life, please put some clothes on,” came a new voice over the phone.

“Sorry, dad!” Luke called back. “Just woke up.”

A woman's laughter could be heard. “At least he has underwear on.”

Luke blew his lips. “Sorry about that, parents are up. You could try going to the park, but I mean, the only people you will probably find are the church kids. As much as I dislike them, I think you're smart enough to not be drawn in by them. And I'd hate for you to die of boredom before we see you again, so I guess try them.

Jason let out a small chuckle. “I'll try not to let them make me as crazy as them. Um, I don't know, I might go, but probably not.”

“There's really not a lot to do in this town.”

“So I've noticed,” Jason mumbled. “If worse comes to worst, I'll just stay here and do some homework.”

“Wow, you must be bored.”

“Yeah,” Jason chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess I'll let you go, so you can get ready.”

“Okay. I will talk to you later then. Call me if you need anything.”

“Bye.” Jason hung up the phone, dropping it back on his bed. With a groan, he fell onto the bed and buried his face into the sheets. He was going to die of boredom in this town. It was not that he was trying to judge the religious kids, but somehow Jason thought Luke and the others would be the more entertaining bunch.

Jason rolled onto his back, putting an arm behind his head. His body was still sore. Perhaps he should just take the day to rest. He was in the south, and they did believe Sunday was the day to rest. When in Rome, right? Letting out a sigh, Jason decided it seemed like the best course of action after all. Besides, he thought to himself, he was sure the coming week was not going to give him much of a break.

The three moons in his dream were still weighing on his mind. He felt like he should know where that symbol had come from. It seemed like he had studied it in school once, or perhaps ran across it in some research. That would give him something to do today, he supposed.

His bedroom door slammed shut, causing the boy to sit up with a start. His eyes were wide as he scanned the room. Perhaps he would not be getting any rest today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's an important detail in this chapter that will come in handy later. Won't tell you what it is or what it is about, not yet anyways. But I wonder who can pick it out and say what it is when the time comes. That being said, I'll probably have another chapter out soon enough.


	5. Can a Siren Charm the Deaf?

Jason's bed was so comfortable. It was warm and the sheets were soft. He let out a sigh of contentment as he sank deeper under the sheets. It was heaven. All he wanted to do was sleep and never get up. He did not have any intention of moving, not even for-

“Jason!”

The blue-eyed boy jumped, his body nearly falling over. He blinked several times, realizing he was still in Home Economics. With a sigh, he rubbed a hand across his face and looked over to Nico. The boy had a frown on his lips—big surprise there—as he stared at Jason, looking slightly confused.

Nico sighed and put down the bowl he was holding. “Were you paying attention?” He did not sound irritated, which was a good sign. The boy gave Jason a concerned glance before pointing to Jason's side of the table. “I asked you to pass me an egg.”

“Oh.” Jason felt his face heat up. He had not really slept last night, and he had barely managed getting himself out of bed this morning. It was days like this that he truly hated not having someone to wake him up if he overslept, since Ms. Mellie had to be at the school early.

But it was not his fault, not really anyways. He kept waking up in the middle of the night, thinking he had heard something. But every time he got up, all he found was an empty house.

He scooped up an egg and went to hand it to Nico, who was leaning forward to grab a spoon that was directly in front of Jason. The smell of peppermint drifted into Jason's nose again. The tall teenage boy licked his lips and let his eyes wander across Nico's back just as the small boy raised up. It did not take him long before he felt bad, though.

Nico was dating Luke, Jason reminded himself. Besides, anything that was there was probably just physical. Nico was an attractive guy, Jason could openly admit that. He had a nice body as well, as the boy's tight jeans could attest to. But Jason was no home wrecker, nor would he pursue something that was just a lustful attraction. At most, he probably just missed the affection of dating someone.

Jason rubbed the back of his neck, holding out the egg for Nico. “Here you go,” he mumbled.

Nico smiled softly before carefully reaching out and taking the egg. The boy cracked it against the table's surface before holding it over the bowl he had been holding and dropped its contents inside. Tossing the eggshells into the small trash bin beside their station, Nico picked up the bowl and began to mix the egg.

“You know how to cook?” Jason asked, watching Nico work. He wanted to be of more help, but, honestly, he felt lost.

The pale boy shrugged, glancing at Jason from behind his bangs. “Demeter is my step-grandmother, what do you expect? But even before that, I spent time at her house when mom and dad had to run errands.” Nico bit the inside of his cheek, sitting the bowl down and motioning to Jason. “You can mix in the rest.”

Jason nodded and slid the bowl over to him. At least Nico was trusting him with work again. After the flour incident last week, Nico had barely let him lift a finger.

“You look horrible,” Nico mumbled, now leaning against the table's surface.

Jason frowned. “Thanks.”

The boy shrugged. “Just being honest. You look like you didn't sleep much last night.”

“I didn't.”

Nico rubbed his neck, his eyes closed. “Maybe you should go to bed earlier and stop playing with yourself before sleeping.” His eyes flickered over to where Jason stood. “Obviously you haven't been around here long enough to know that that sort of thing can cause you to go blind.”

Jason snorted. “Wasn't that proven false?”

Nico still remained serious, which entertained Jason all the more. “I'm sure if people believe it enough, it'll become reality. I mean, people believe I'm a witch, so I must be one, right?”

“Glad you can admit it,” Khione remarked as she passed by their station.

Nico rolled his eyes. Letting out a sigh, he returned his attention to Jason. “Regardless of truth, belief is a powerful thing. It causes fear when there is no reason to have any.” His brown eyes drifted down to where Jason was mixing the ingredients. “Fear and belief in something give it power.”

Jason slowly nodded his head. “Is that your way of saying you wanted to watch me masturbate?” The blue-eyed boy's lips tilted up. “I don't really think exhibitionism is my thing.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “Don't hold your breath.” He sighed and glanced at the clock. “Now hurry up, the bell is about to ring.” A smirk appeared on the boy's lips. “Besides, you're already a dick, so I don't need to see yours.” Batting his eyes, he smiled innocently at Jason.

The blond boy frowned and narrowed his eyes. “And here I thought we were having a moment.”

“Only until you ruined it with your stupid comment.” Nico yanked the bowl from Jason's hands. “It must take some real talent to be able to shove your foot in your mouth in so many ways,” Nico continued condescendingly.

“You must be a professional ass,” Jason mumbled.

Jason tensed up when Nico shot him a glare. But the boy shrugged and turned his head to look behind him. “I do have a nice ass, now that you mention it.” Nico turned and placed a hand on his butt.

Jason's eyes flickered down. “Yeah, you do,” his mouth said before he could stop himself. Nico's eyebrows shot up. “Um, I mean, it's just an observation.”

Nico slowly nodded. “Uh-huh. Whatever you say, Jason.” The boy shrugged and went back to work on their cooking project. The blue-eyed boy let out a groan. “Careful about such remarks, people might start to think things about you.” He smirked at Jason. “I'd hate to have your pretty little face ruined. All you have going for you, really.”

Jason gave the boy a lopsided grin. “You think my face is cute?”

The bell rang. Nico let out a sigh, putting the bowl down. “I find myself amazed at what you manage to take out of a conversation, Jason,” Nico droned. “Help me clean this up.”

It did not take long to help with that task. Nico had been very strict throughout class at keeping Jason from dirtying up their station. He could not help but feel the boy had not forgiven him for the flour incident just yet.

Jason stopped Nico when they entered the hallway. “Thanks again,” Jason motioned to Nico, “for being my partner.” He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “I'm not very good in the kitchen.”

Nico scrunched his lips, his brown eyes scanning the halls. “Don't worry about it. But maybe you should learn to cook, so you don't have to rely on people to feed you.”

“It's not like I'm asking them to do it.”

Nico's lips tilted up as he returned his gaze to Jason. “I'm sure Demeter would teach you, since you helped her out at the grocery store.”

Jason shook his head. “It wasn't a big deal. I'd have done it for anyone.”

Dark brown eyes looked him over. “Still, there will come a day when you need to be able to take care of yourself.” Jason nodded in response. Nico glanced down the hall again, rising up on his heels to get a better view. “Maybe then you can help out more in class, and I won't be stuck with most of the work.”

Jason laughed at that. But his laughter quickly died down when three boys came up from behind them and smashed eggs against Nico's head.

The students in the halls grew quiet as they stared the boy with yolk dripping from his hair. Nico stood there in shock, his mouth hanging slightly open and his eyes full of panic. The top of his hair was matted down, the clear and yellow contents of the destroyed eggs dripping down onto his clothes.

As laughter erupted in the halls, one of the boys turned around as he walked away. “I heard you and the rest of the freaks you hangout with like sacrificing animals. Thought I'd help you out.”

Jason wanted to grab the guy and punch him, but a blonde blur quickly shot through the crowd. Annabeth stood at Nico's side, wiping the egg from the boy's face. “Are you all right?” She asked.

It took Nico a second, but he nodded. “I'm fine,” he whispered.

Annabeth picked pieces of eggshell from the boy's black hair. “Spare clothes?” Nico simply motioned to his backpack. Annabeth nodded. She turned to Jason. “Help me get him to the bathroom? If Luke or Percy sees him like this...”

She let the sentence trail off, but Jason understood that nothing good would come of it. Annabeth took Nico's hand and led him down the hall. Nico glanced behind them. “I was waiting on Luke,” he whispered.

Jason took up the rear, acting as a shield for the boy's back. As they walked, Jason took the opportunity to finish getting the eggshells off of Nico. Why would anyone want to do this to someone else?

Annabeth sighed as she stopped in front of the bathrooms. “Do you want him to see you like this?” She raised a brow at the boy. Nico shook his head. Annabeth motioned to the door. “Then hurry up.”

Jason was surprised when Annabeth followed in behind them. There were two boys inside, who both froze when they saw Annabeth. Though whether it was for her being a girl or coming from the family she did, Jason could only guess.

“Dude, you can't be in here,” one of them said.

“Yeah, you're a girl,” his friend finished.

Annabeth ignored them and grabbed a paper towel. “Unless you both want to be turned into frogs, I suggest you both leave. Now.” Both boys quickly scrambled away. Jason raised a brow at her. The blonde shrugged. “What? We needed some privacy, and you could cut the fear in this town with a knife.”

Nico had already removed his shirt. Jason's eyes instantly fell upon the necklace that swung from his neck. Annabeth motioned to the sink. Nico made a face, but ended up doing as he was bid. The blonde girl turned on the water, raking her fingers through Nico's hair to help get rid of the yolk. Nico had a hand on the necklace, pressing it to his chest to prevent it from being in the way.

“They're going to notice,” Nico mumbled. “My hair's going to be wet.”

Annabeth let out a sigh. “That's true.” She scrunched her lips. “Maybe you could find Drew, I'm sure she has a hairdryer.”

“She's still bitter about me being gay, and she's still mad that her matchmaker attempt failed between me and Mitchell.”

“But Mitchell doesn't like you in that way either.”

“Try telling Drew that. At least she tried after my botched attempt at a relationship.”

Annabeth tugged on Nico's hair, drawing a hiss. “I've told you before to stop blaming yourself. Alabaster deserved it. He's lucky that he didn't get his face beaten in.” She ran her fingers through Nico's hair again, letting it continue to soak. “At least Silena and Drew didn't try setting you up.”

“Silena says there's no point when Drew asks for help with me,” Nico mumbled. He received a swat to the back, which finally drew Jason's attention to the boy's pale back.

Faint bruises had formed there in random spots. There was even a cut at the boy's shoulder, which would have barely been concealed by a shirt. But the bruises were definitely what stood out to Jason. They weren't big, but they were noticeable. Each of them was roughly the size of fingertips, like someone had pressed harshly against the boy's skin.

When he looked up, Jason found Annabeth's sharp gaze on him. She silently shook her head, letting the blue-eyed boy know not to say anything about the bruises. Jason shut his mouth, swallowing the lump in his throat.

Nico finally stood up, his hair dripping wet and matted to his face. Annabeth chewed her lip as she pulled a fresh shirt from Nico's backpack. She handed them to Nico. “Let me get a towel.” Gray and blue met as Jason and Annabeth locked gazes. “Can you keep an eye on him for me?”

Jason silently nodded. Annabeth stepped around Jason, leaving him alone with Nico. Nico pushed his wet bangs out of his eyes, a depressed look filling his dark orbs. “I'm sorry,” Jason said without thinking.

Nico just shrugged. “You didn't do it.”

“Still, it shouldn't have happened.” Jason shook his head. “I mean, if you're a witch, shouldn't they be scared of you?”

“Well that's just it, they don't truly believe it.” Nico rested a hand on the sink; the shirt Annabeth had given him now on his shoulder. “They think we worship the devil, sure. Prance around naked and make sacrifices? Of course. It's what they want to believe. But magic?” Nico's eyes met with those of Jason's. “Everyone knows it doesn't exist, so how could they be afraid of something that doesn't exist by those standards? People openly practice witchcraft in the world, which is pretty common knowledge, but that still makes them the servants of the devil to some. Especially the Christians here, they can't comprehend that most that practice witchcraft or Wicca don't actually have anything to do with the devil.”

Jason swallowed another lump in his throat. “Do you... practice Wicca?” Nico's eyes narrowed at him. He held up his hands in defense. “Not that I'd mind. I was just wondering where all this started.”

Nico's eyes became dull as they continued to stare at Jason. “I'm not a witch, and I definitely do not practice Wicca.” He licked his lips. “It all just started with some old stories, back in the old days, when this town was just being built.”

The door swung open again, signaling Annabeth's return. The blonde handed Nico the towel that she had retrieved. She glanced between the two when neither was willing to make eye contact. “What happened?”

To Jason's relief, Nico beat him to the answer. “Nothing. Jason was just trying to make me feel better.”

If Jason were smart, he would have let that answer suffice. Annabeth seemed content with it. But he was clearly letting his mouth work on its own today. “What happened to those football kids that attacked Connor?”

The air became tense. Nico stilled, his head hidden under the towel. Annabeth's eyes pierced him like knives. “What do you mean?”

“I, um-” Jason cleared his throat. “It's just that some people were saying that Luke might have tampered with the bus.” Nico peeled the towel back to glare at Jason. Clearly these two were quite defensive of the blond in question. “I just couldn't imagine he'd be the type to mess with the bus and cause it to wreck.”

Annabeth rubbed her palms together. Nico went back to drying his hair. Letting out a breath, Annabeth gathered her things. “I can vouch for Luke. He was with me the entire night before the bus was used, and I even walked to school with him the next day. We were at my house, so I don't see how he could have done it.”

Jason nodded. Annabeth stepped around him with a chilly nudge to the shoulder. Jason's body stiffened. Talk about walking on eggshells, Jason thought to himself.

Nico glared daggers at him. Shit, had he said that out loud? Jason's mind was screaming at him to run, but he could not find the power to move. His mouth floundered. “I'm so sorry, I didn't mean... Nico, I-”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Shut up, Jason. Like I said earlier, you have a talent for sticking your foot in your mouth.”

Jason frowned, scratching at his chest. Nico's brow furrowed as he watched the blue-eyed boy. “Are you okay, though?”

“Better, for now anyways.” He let the towel drop to the ground before slipping the shirt over his head. After straightening out his shirt, he pointed a finger at Jason. “One more thing, though. Don't tell Luke or Percy about this.” He paused, his mouth open as if he were thinking something. “Actually don't tell any of my family either. You didn't see who did it, got it?”

Jason gave a nod. “Got it.”

Nico rolled his eyes, slipping his backpack onto his shoulder. “And please don't be stupid enough to keep asking that question about Luke.” He walked past Jason, making for the door. “I'm sure you're going to hear a lot about us, Grace, but not all rumors are true.”

Jason turned as the door began to swing shut. “Is calling me by my last name really necessary?” He called after the retreating boy. He barely caught the wave that Nico gave over his shoulder. Jason frowned to himself, letting his butt rest against the sink.

 

\--------------------------

To say Jason was getting a few stares was an understatement. The second he had moved from the lunch line to sit down with Luke and the others, the cafeteria had nearly fallen into a dead silence. He even received a few awkward stares from the kids at the table. Bianca held out her hand to Drew with a smirk. The Asian girl glared and reached into her purse, pulling out a five dollar bill and handing it to the dark haired girl across the table.

Luke beamed at him. He slapped Nico on the back, causing the smaller boy to nearly choke on his drink. “I told you he'd sit with us.”

Nico's dark eyes looked up to stare at Jason. “Joy,” he mumbled. Then Nico's eyes flickered to a point over Jason's shoulder, his eyes narrowing.

“Jason?” The blue-eyed boy turned around to find Kinzie standing there, holding her tray. “Do you want to come sit with us?”

All eyes at the table were on him. Without hesitation, Jason shrugged. “I'm fine where I'm at.” Kinzie pursed her lips. “I'm fine, Kinzie.”

The girl took a step before turning back to Jason. “If you need anything, I'll be right over there.”

“Going to dump more eggs on my cousin?”

Kinzie tensed up. Medea now stood behind her with a cold look in her eyes. Nico let out a breath. “She didn't do anything, leave her alone,” the boy said calmly.

Medea jerked towards Kinzie, causing the girl to squeak. Medea cackled as Kinzie took off towards her normal table. Sitting down, Medea opened her bottled water. “Never gets old.”

Nico watched his cousin, his chin propped up by his fist. “And you wonder why they are paranoid of us.”

Medea already had food in her mouth. “Not like they weren't already,” she said between bites. Nico cringed from listening to her. “Back me up here, Luke.”

The blond glanced at Nico, his arm resting on the back of the chair the boy occupied. Nico narrowed his eyes. Luke's blue eyes blinked a few times before he looked away and cleared his throat. “I mean, she's just concerned for your safety. We all are.”

Nico leaned back and crossed his arms. “I can take care of myself.”

“So that's why you got bullied today?” Medea mumbled. Bianca elbowed her cousin, who turned to glare at her.

Jason glanced back at Nico, who was watching another boy. Following the raven haired boy's gaze, Jason found Percy and Nico having, what appeared to be, a silent discussion with their eyes. Percy's brow furrowed as he stared at the pale boy in silence. Nico took a deep breath and looked away, which only seemed to frustrate Percy.

The green-eyed boy sat at the end of the table with Annabeth, but the girl was not paying him any attention. It wasn't until Luke cleared his throat that the blonde girl took notice. The girl touched Percy's arm, drawing the green-eyed boy's gaze from Nico. She smiled and whispered something to the tan boy. Nico rolled his eyes and glanced down at his tray.

“Eat,” Luke said, stuffing a fry in his mouth.

“Not hungry,” Nico mumbled. Luke attempted to drop a piece of toast onto the brown-eyed boy's tray, but Nico blocked it. Luke frowned and grabbed Nico's wrist, shoving the food into the boy's hand. “Fine.” Nico eyed Luke darkly before biting off a piece of the toast.

Luke rested his cheek on his palm. “How is it?”

Brown eyes narrowed at the blond. “I hate you.”

Nico remained silent for the remainder of their lunch. Jason, though, could not keep his eyes off the boy. Nico slouched in his chair with his arms crossed. Percy asked him if he was all right, but Nico just gave a thumbs up, which did nothing to convince the green-eyed boy. Luke leaned in and whispered something in Nico's ear.

Jason nudged Rachel, who sat on his right. “Is everything okay? Nico seems a little frustrated.”

“Ah.” Rachel leaned in, holding up a hand to muffle their conversation from the rest of the table. “He's just a little sore about this weekend. Best not to talk to him about it.”

Jason tilted his head to the side. “About the trespassing thing?”

Rachel pursed her lips, tossing a glance over to Luke and Nico, who were still talking to each other. The girl shook her head. “No, it's more about who came to visit this weekend. He and Nico don't exactly... get along. Not that Luke gets along with him any better.”

Jason did not understand what Rachel meant until the end of the day, when school was letting out. Since he made the team, he did not have anything to do for a another day or two, when track practice started. So he had been sitting in study hall until the bell rang.

From there, he had gone to drop his books off that he did not need. An arm was slung around his shoulder. “Hey there, Jason,” Luke said with a smile. Nico stood beside him with a bored look and his hands in the pockets of the small jacket he wore. “Heading home?”

Jason zipped up his bag with a nod. “Thankfully. It's been a long day.”

“Amen to that.” Reyna strolled up to them, clasping hands with Luke. “Ready to get your ass kicked at some video games?”

Luke placed his hands behind his head. “I'm always up for some beating you.” He smirked when he received an eye roll from Nico. “Wanna join, Jay?”

A smirk touched at his own lips. “I suppose I could tag along.”

Reyna's own smirk appeared. “I like him better already.”

Jason followed the other three outside, heading towards the parking lot. But when they got there, Nico came to a quick halt. The boy's eyes narrowed. Reyna tugged on the boy's dark jacket, but Nico jerked his arm free. Luke's fists tightened.

A pack of girls had congregated around a bright red Maserati sat parked at the edge of where the sidewalk ended. Most of the girls had decided to take their phones out, and were rapidly trying to take as many pictures as possible. Jason frowned and craned his neck to get a better look. Though, it seemed he would not have to.

A very handsome youth with curly, sandy blond hair jumped off of the hood and strolled towards them. A pair of shades rested over his eyes. Jason noted that his smile was bright enough to make the sun jealous. He wore a red sleeveless shirt that showed off his tan arms. In his mouth was a round, red sucker, which he brought out with a popping sound.

He lowered his shades to raise his eyebrows at the group. “Well, well, I didn't expect to run into all of you today until we got back home.”

“We?” Reyna asked.

The blond held the sucker close to his mouth with a smile. “Ah, Thalia and I came to pick up Zoë from daycare, since my dear sister is a little preoccupied today.”

Luke narrowed his eyes. “Shouldn't you be getting back for school?”

“That's not very nice.” The curly haired blond's smile widened as he moved closer, now standing directly in front of Nico. The tall blond fingered the zipper on Nico's jacket. “It seemed like you were avoiding me this weekend, my sweet Nico.”

“Go to hell, Apollo,” Nico growled.

Apollo smiled and lifted his shades, placing them on his head. He stuffed the sucker back in his mouth, his eyes flashing briefly across Luke with a dark look. His blue eyes finally landed on Jason, pouty lips tilting up into a smirk. “And who do we have here?”

Nico grunted. “None of your business.”

Apollo chose to ignore him. He held his hand out. “Apollo Solace. Very pleased to meet you.” He added a wink for extra effect.

“Nico, is he bothering you?”

The group turned to find a short girl holding a toddler in her arms. The toddler was playfully tugging at the raven haired girl's shoulder length hair with a smile. The way she dressed kind of reminded Jason of Percy, except more punk, with a spiked belt and leather choker. However, it was her eyes that caught Jason's attention the most.

They were electric blue, just like his own.

Strange. And she was staring at him curiously. The girl finally smiled and hefted the toddler up in her arms, so that she could extend a hand to Jason. “Sorry for Apollo, he can be obnoxious. I'm Thalia. Thalia Nightshade.” The small child laughed and reached out for Jason. “Ah, and this ball of energy is Zoë.”

The blond reached out and took Zoë's hand with a smile. “I'm Jason Grace. I just moved to town not too long ago.”

Apollo removed the sucker again. “So you're the new kid I got to hear about over my visit.”

Thalia rolled her eyes. “Apollo and I are in college in New Orleans.”

Apollo wagged his eyebrows. “Med school.” Jason's eyes flickered down to the sucker in Apollo's mouth, which was being played with seductively. Apollo brought his tongue out to lick the red candy. “Much more exciting place.”

In all honesty, Jason would have thought Apollo another high school student. The blond could have easily passed for someone around sixteen or eighteen. He just had this almost immortally young look to his perfect and flawless face.

Jason blew out a breath, focusing back on Apollo's blue eyes. “Must be exciting,” he replied.

Apollo shook his head and raised a brow. “Yes... it is.” Recovering from his confusion, he extended his arms, waving the sucker around with them. “Though, I suppose I'll have to come back to this hellhole eventually.”

“Please don't,” Nico mumbled. Reyna elbowed him. 

Apollo gave a small chuckle. “Don't worry, Nico, I haven't given up just yet.”

Luke lunged for Apollo, but Thalia stepped between them. “Is there a reason you're here, at school?” He asked.

Apollo smiled at the other blond. “Just thought I'd give Thalia a lift. Hera's still at work, and my sister is busy, like I said. Plus, I drove me and Thalia here over the weekend.”

Thalia shook her head. “We'll be going now.”

Apollo lifted his hands with a shrug. “I was being civil.” His smile was no longer present. Apollo glanced at Luke, as if he expected the blond to comment. He cocked his head to the side. But when Luke said nothing, Apollo continued. “I just am going to miss you all so much when we go back to New Orleans.”

Jason's eyes widened. Out of nowhere, Nico shoved Apollo. The blond's eyes were wide as he stumbled backwards a few steps. Reyna quickly grabbed Nico around the waist, holding the boy back while he attempted to kick at Apollo.

Luke sighed and pulled Jason aside. “I know we were going to hangout, but I'm going to need to take Nico on home now.” He offered a weak smile. “Maybe later this week?”

Jason glanced at Nico, who was still trying desperately to reach the smirking blond. The blue-eyed boy gave a small nod. “Yeah, sure. If you're sure you'll be okay.”

Luke placed a hand on his shoulder with a smile. “Been dealing with Nico for sixteen years, I'll manage.” Jason took a step before Luke grabbed his wrist. “Thanks, though. Sitting with us and everything today, and the past week, it's been nice.”

The blue-eyed boy smiled. “It's been fun.” As soon as his back was turned to them, he frowned. He had really wanted to spend some time with them today. Sunday had been so boring, since Ms. Mellie spent most of the day at church. Jason was starting to miss spending time with friends. Not having a close group of friends was beginning to make him homesick.

Thalia caught Jason before he got too far. “You're not acting like most of the other people around here.”

“Well, I just moved here. Not exactly raised to be religious or treat people so badly.”

Those electric blue eyes stared back at Jason from behind black bangs. “Still... It's extremely rare for anyone to treat us decently around here. Chiron and Ms. Hestia were the only two I can recall from when I was in school and living here. Luke says there's a boy that's kind of nice, but doesn't really talk to any of them much.”

“Eros.”

Thalia gave a nod. “You seem different.” She smiled up at the blond. “It's a good thing.” Raising her hand in a wave, Thalia began to walk back to the group. “I hope to see you around still when I come back to visit, Jason.”

“Yeah,” Jason said softly, “me too.”

On his way back to his car, Jason bumped into Eros. “Hey!”

Eros smiled at him and walked over to Jason's car. “What's up?”

Jason's gaze trailed back over to where Nico was having to be dragged away from Apollo, and Thalia was yelling at Apollo to get in the car. “Just... watching that.”

“Yeah...” Eros gave a shrug. “From what I've seen, Apollo and Nico haven't gotten along in years. Luke and Apollo used to fight a lot. Like at school. Actual fighting. Chiron had to send them home a few times. That was the year before I entered high school, though.” He smiled and gave a small wave. Jason followed the brunet's gaze to find Luke helping Reyna get Nico into his silver car. A faint blush appeared on Luke's cheeks as he waved back at the brunet. “Luke's nice. I hate that the rest of the town treats them so badly.”

“Why do you view them so differently?”

“I don't know,” Eros replied softly. He bit down on his lip. “I guess they make me a little nervous, but that's probably just all the rumors that I've grown up with. My dad is a lot like Octavian, though. He talks so poorly about them.” The brunet shook his head. “Mom says it has to do with some stuff that happened when Dad was younger. My dad liked this girl from the next town over when he was younger. Well, Mr. Castellan liked her as well. My dad just didn't take it well after chose Luke's dad over mine. He's just bitter.” His lips tilted down, shifting his weight. “But... I don't know. It was before I was born. My dad got into an actual fight with Mr. Castellan over May, the girl that both of them liked. Something happened with her, my mom said, but I'm really not sure what it was.”

“They didn't say what?”

Eros just frowned. “No, not really. Mom kind of just spaces out when she tries to remember. I guess it's been a while. Dad can't remember why he got in the fight either. But I guess May passed on, and now Mr. Castellan is married to the twins' mom. She's a nice lady, though.” Eros finally smiled again. “She usually donates a really big turkey to each church on Christmas.”

Maybe he could hangout with Eros? It was definitely true that Eros was the most tolerable out of all the teenagers in the town, not including Nico and the others. “Eros?” The brunet tilted his head to the side. “I don't suppose you'd wanna hangout for a while?”

A smile crossed the brunet's lips and he nodded. “Sure. I can show you where to get the best ice cream in town.”

Jason unlocked his car and Eros climbed in on the passenger side. Eros was buckling his seat by the time Jason was done with tossing his backpack into the back and had climbed into the front. Cranking the car, Jason pulled out of his parking spot.

As they drove, Eros would occasionally point to a building and let Jason know what it was. It was not until Eros had divulged the location of one of the only two hair salons in town that the brunet chose to veer away from the scenery.

“Do I get the vibe of you not being a bible thumper?”

Jason briefly glanced at Eros, eventually shrugging his shoulders. “Not really. That's not a problem, is it?” He was curious if this would change things. Would Eros still want to be his friend?

Thankfully, a smile broke out across the brunet's lips. “No, it's totally fine. I'm sure you have your reasons.” He laughed when Jason looked relieved. “I don't really care if you go to church or not. What you do with your life is your own choice, and it's not my place to tell you otherwise.”

“That's a relief,” Jason confessed. “I'm pretty sure Kinzie and Octavian would lose their heads.”

That made Eros laugh. “You're probably right.” He reached up and pretended to lock his mouth with a key. “Your secret is safe with me.” The boy cleared his throat. “So, your parents were from around here?”

“Yeah...”

“I hope you find them.” Eros glanced back out the window. “I hope they aren't a disappointment to you. I know we can seem a bit... strange here.” His green eyes returned to stare at Jason. “I'm sorry about your parents, by the way. I bet they were great.”

Jason let out a breath as he continued to drive. “My dad was supportive. He had a bit of a temper at times, but nothing bad. He mainly wanted me to keep in line. Mom... She developed a bit of a drinking problem, but Dad was trying to help her work through it.” He briefly glanced over at Eros. “I still loved them, though.”

A weak smile appeared on Eros's lips. “I know how that can go. My dad can be a bit of a heavy drinker every now and then. Um...” Eros bit down on his lips, suppressing a sad smile, and shook his head. “Um, sorry, never mind me.” Clearing his throat, he smiled again as he pointed off to the right. “Ah, pull up here.”

Jason looked around, not really seeing what he was supposed to be staring at. Eros reached over and grabbed Jason's chin, pointing ahead of them to a small building on the street corner. A big flashing sign sat above it. It read: Dionysus's Vineyard. There was even a neon grape vine that lit up beside it.

Jason parked the car in the store's parking lot. Sitting back from the wheel, he looked over at Eros. “What? It's just a liquor store.”

Eros chuckled at that. “Just a liquor store.” He blinked when Jason remained silent. “Oh, right, you're not from around here.” He cleared his throat, leaning slightly forward in his seat. “You do know that the south still has a lot of dry areas, right? The town's tried really hard to close Mr. Burgundy down, but the man always wins his case.”

“Burgundy.” Jason frowned to himself. That was one of the names Luke had mentioned. “Who is he? Associated with Luke's family?”

“Yeah. The man loves his wine. I don't think the religious women around here will ever shut him down.” Eros chuckled and rested his elbow on the arm rest, letting his chin settle on the back of his fingers. “There's been a bunch of protests, even news coverage, but the man stands his ground. One of the few of their lot that gets out in public regularly.”

Jason looked at the store again. It did not look all that busy. “But they all go to school with us.”

Eros laughed. “I meant the adults. They don't come out much.” The brunet rolled his eyes. “Some of the kids at school have created a rumor that the di Angelos' father is a vampire, because he is seen the least.” The boy leaned his head out the window, glancing around at their surroundings. “As if this town didn't have enough rumors about them going already.”

Jason scratched his head. “Why don't they just shut it down? Are they that afraid of Dionysus?”

Eros arched a brow and turned to Jason, giving him an odd look. “What do you mean? It's not like anyone can really do anything to them.”

“Well why not?”

Now Eros was looking at Jason like he had grown a second head. The brunet motioned to the town around them. “What is the town going to do? Luke, Nico, Percy, Piper, Annabeth, Leo, Frank; their parents all own the town. When people started migrating here, when the town was being built, they were already here. They helped build the town; they funded its survival until it could stand on its own feet. They're completely loaded, Jason.”

Jason felt like a bus had hit him. Hadn't Luke said the opposite over the weekend? Not technically, he supposed. But it felt like it had been implied. Eros raised a brow. Jason rubbed his forehead. “I thought... Luke said that... Well, he implied they weren't well off. Or maybe I just interpreted it that way. It's just that he said they lived in average houses, so I just assumed-”

Eros snorted. “I may not have been in their homes, but I have seen them. Their houses could fit like two of mine inside.” Now Jason most definitely felt lied to. “Like really good architecture, and tons of land around them. Sort of manors, but not so castle-like.” He scratched his cheek. “I guess like a southern plantation house, but not old, like you might picture them being.”

That would explain the iron gates, Jason thought bitterly. He shook his head, which was starting to hurt. How did this make any sense? He meets a group of kids, who turn out to be the village outcasts, but then he finds out they are the town rich kids? Back home, that would have made them quite popular.

Now Jason had a headache.

Half an hour later, they both sat on a picnic table at the park. Jason slowly stirred his melting ice cream, a heavy frown marring his features. They had opted to walk to the park, since it was not far from the tiny building that housed the town's ice cream and other cold treats place, as well as giving Jason a better chance to look at the town.

“I'm sure they were going to tell you,” Eros assured him, looking up from his own ice cream. “Maybe they were scared you'd look at them differently.”

“You mean differently than what I hear about them from the rest of the town?” Jason mumbled bitterly. He sighed and scooped out the last bit of his ice cream. “Where's the courthouse again?”

Eros pointed through some trees across the road and to their left. “Center of town. It's not very far from the school. I guess it would be better to say that it's downtown, though. Like there's the town square, which has a big flagpole that you can't miss. The courthouse is at the end of the square.”

Jason nodded with a sigh. His shoulders slumped. “Thanks.”

“Still going to keep looking for your family?”

Jason was quiet for a short time. He stared into the empty ice cream cup, shaking it lightly in his hand. “I have to. The sooner I do, the sooner I can go home.” Eros hummed in response, filling his mouth with another bite. “I'm just still surprised you talk to them at all, or are at least nice to them. Only like three or four people in this town seem to be okay with them.”

Eros shrugged, not really looking at Jason. “I've only talked to a few of them, really. Luke's always been nice to me, so I have no reason to be rude to him. None of them have really bothered me any, though. They mostly stay to themselves until someone bothers them.” His green eyes met with Jason's blue ones. “I don't know, they look lonely sometimes. My dad gets really angry, though, whenever he finds out that I talk to them. I guess I just haven't been that social with them lately because of that.”

“Have you ever thought about going over to their houses?”

Eros stiffened. He had not seemed to be expecting that question. “Um, well, I...” The boy licked his lips. “I guess some of them do make me a little nervous. Especially Medea.” Jason laughed at that. Eros chewed on his lip. “And the town's not really fond of people trying to be friendly to them. Octavian really likes to hound me when I talk to them. The jerk has told my father once or twice about me socializing with Luke. It was mainly for class assignments, though, so it was kind of mandatory if I wanted to pass.”

Jason let out a sigh and tossed his trash into the garbage can next to them. Wiping his hands on the back of his jeans, he said, “Yeah, well, I don't really let others decide who I want to be friends with.”

Eros smirked and squeezed his shoulder. “I'll pray for your soul. I'm sure the rest of the town will be doing the same.” He smiled when Jason shook his head. “Seriously, though, I'm happy you're trying. They need more friends, other than themselves.”

“Is the rest of the town going to think me a witch as well?”

Eros slipped his hands behind his head and began walking back to Jason's car. “Nah, they'll just think you're consorting with them, probably that they've put a spell on you to lure you in. I'm sure it'll make all the girls come after you.”

Jason couldn't help but laugh at that. “May the Lord have mercy on my poor, unfortunate soul.”

Eros grinned over at him. “I can see why Luke and the others like you, you've got a sense of humor.” The brunet slowly spun around. “Not like the rest of this town!” He yelled loudly. “I think I'm ready to get away from here after high school. Do some soul searching.”

“Have a lot on your mind?”

Those bright green eyes flickered momentarily to Jason before returning to the sidewalk. “You could say that. It's just that...” He shut his mouth and smiled at Jason. “Nothing. Um, just some things have been on my mind lately. I'm sure it's nothing.”

On their way out of the park, they passed a row of houses. From the yard, an older-looking beagle came trotting from the yard to bark at them in its long and drawn out howl. Eros smiled and crouched down to scratch under the dog's chin.

Eros glanced up at Jason as he scratched it behind the ears. The dog let out another howl. “Khione's dog. Much more friendly than his owner.”

Jason smiled and crouched down to pet the dog. “Hey there, boy.” The dog turned on him, wagging its tail. Jason's smile brightened as the dog pressed his front paws against the blond's chest. “He's a sweetheart.”

“Yeah.” He shrugged and ran his hand along the dog's back. “Khione just found him one day. Nobody claimed him, so her mom kept him. I think her mom wanted a dog around to help watch the house after Khione's father disappeared.”

Jason smiled at the dog. “Who's a good boy?” The dog got on its hind legs by supporting itself on Jason's chest. He then proceeded to bark constantly in Jason's face. “So friendly.”

Eros just laughed. “Go on, boy. Back to guard duty.”

The dog barked at them before trotting back to its spot in the yard, wagging its tail on the way. Jason stood back up. Eros motioned for them to keep walking.

Eros kicked a rock as they walked along the sidewalk. The boy frowned as he stared down at it, not really showing concern for if he bumped into anything. Not that he probably had to. Eros likely knew these streets like the back of his hand.

The curly haired brunet did not get back in the car when they arrived back at the ice cream shop, though. Eros grabbed his backpack and slung it onto his shoulder. “I think I'll just walk home from here.”

“You sure? I don't mind giving you a ride.”

Eros smiled at him. “Thanks, but I'm okay.” He thrust his thumb over his shoulder. “I just live two miles down the road. I'll just walk to school in the morning.”

Jason nodded. Climbing into his car, he watched Eros walk down the road. His forehead hit the steering wheel. He had been hoping Eros would stick around a little longer. 

When Jason got back to his place, he was dragging his feet on the floor. He collapsed on the couch with a groan. He wasn't sure if he would say he was depressed. Lonely? Sure. The realization that he had no real close group of friends kept becoming more apparent to him. But was it worth getting close to anyone here? If he could find his family, he had every intention of spending a short time with them before returning home. At most, he'd be here a year. Come graduation, there was no way he was going to still be here.

\-------------------------------

School on Tuesday had been remarkably uneventful, at least by the standards Jason had already come to know from this town. Nico had remained quiet all throughout their class, barely making eye contact with Jason. In fact, any time Jason even tried to reach for anything, Nico would draw his hand away. It felt like regressing to Jason, but he let the boy be.

It was not really just Nico either. Most of Luke's gang were relatively silent with him, or at least seemed to be in a world of their own. Perhaps today was a little strange then, considering Luke kept spacing out during lunch.

Other than that, the only interesting event of the day had been when Kinzie had invited him to spend time with her group that evening. At first, Jason had been more that a little reluctant, but it seemed like Luke and the others were busy, so he did not have many options. Besides, they couldn't be that bad, right? At the very least, Eros would be there and he seemed normal.

But that was for later. For now, Jason was trying to find the records in the courthouse. An older woman had pointed him to the back rooms in one of the several offices that the building housed, but he had not really had much luck yet. He had found plenty of documents, just none concerning his family. And for a small town, Aimes had a lot of records.

He had already searched through the entire section for last names beginning with 'G'. As expected, his search was not going to be an easy one. He was beginning to wonder if his aunt was on something, because Jason was beginning to question her sanity. There was nothing, not a single piece of paper that contained his last name. If this was the correct town, how did an entire family and its history just vanish?

So that was how he ended up thumbing through old county documents, hoping that he might stumble across some mention of either of his parents or the lost family that he was here for. Jason rubbed at his face as he sat aside several more documents. He wanted to just give up, but he knew that would get him nowhere. His aunt was stubborn; there was no way she would relent with this.

The older lady that had pointed him to the records poked her head into the room. Her hair reminded Jason of a basketball. It rose up above her head several inches in a perm, and moved stiffly every time she moved her head. A pair of glasses attached to a chain hung around her neck.

“Do you need any help, sweetie?”

Jason straightened up with a sigh. He threw on a quick smile, shaking his head. “No, ma'am, but thank you.” As soon as she was gone, Jason's head hit the filing cabinet that he stood in front of. This was impossible. “I'm never going leave here,” he mumbled into the cold metal.

Jason let out a curse as a folder fell from the top a stack he had made on top of the filing cabinet. The papers scattered everywhere around his feet, one flying under a nearby table. Setting down the documents that were in his hand, Jason crouched down and began picking the pieces of paper up, not really bothering to look them over.

Perhaps it was a bad idea, not looking at them, but he really just wanted to hurry and go home. It was becoming quite obvious that this was going to just end up being a dead end. Jason shook his head and leaned under the table to grab the last page.

Coming up, he hit his head on the bottom of the table. Jason let out a hiss, his hand instantly going up to rub his fresh sore spot. His brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed as he focused on the paper now in his hand. It was a copied newspaper article, and the title was bold and large across the top of the page.

Local Witch Cult Suspected for the Murder of Two.

Jason browsed through the rest of the documents. As expected, every single page contained papers on the supposed witches in the community. Jason frowned to himself and sat on the table, picking up one of the documents.

Local father missing.

Boreas North(40) went missing Friday evening. No evidence was found around his residence. Wife and children distraught and without answers. Boreas was not known to partake in any alcohol or illegal substance.

Update: A set of clothes thought to belong to the missing party was found in the woods on the county border. Dogs found no trail. Possible foul play by local cult?

Jason let out a breath and sat the police report aside. Without knowing the man's name, he knew it was about Khione's father. He glanced at the next sheet of paper: fingerprints from Hermes Castellan. Luke's father? Flipping to the next page, Jason found several more fingerprints.

The next article made him stop. It was an autopsy. But it was the name that made his blood run cold.

Maria di Angelo

Time of Death: Sunday at approximately 22:00

Cause of Death: Fire

The witch's body had been bruised prior to death. Her arm and a single rib were broken. Attempted to do a more thorough examination, but Hades di Angelo demanded the body be removed from my care.

Jason felt sick. He put down the document, not capable of finishing it. They had called her a witch in the official autopsy. He ran his hand through his hair. They had murdered Nico's mother. Murdered her, probably for just thinking she was a witch. His head was now spinning. Jason let out slow and steady breaths as he got up from the table.

It all made sense now. That was why it mattered to Luke when Nico asked him not to go after those dumb jocks. The town had murdered his mother, and he still showed them mercy? Jason was not sure he could have done the same. No wonder Medea was so angry with the people in town.

Jasons mind was racing into overdrive. Did the law enforcement let this go? Did they not do anything about it? Jason would have to find out. This was sick, just murdering an innocent woman.

Clack

Jason scrunched his eyes shut. His head must have been hurting worse than he thought. But then there it was again.

Clack

The boy frowned and closed the folder, putting it back on the filing cabinet. Creeping towards the door, Jason peered into the office.

The sound he had heard had come from a jet black cane with a silver handle with a sea-green gem embedded at the top. Jason's eyes came to rest on the man's hand, where two rings were. One was obviously a wedding ring, plain and simple, nothing out of the ordinary about it. However, the other ring was not so simple. The top was rectangular, a shiny emerald planted in it. On the side was a trident.

The next thing that caught Jason's attention was the odd attire he wore. Not exactly something the blond would expect someone carrying a cane like that to be wearing. He had on a pair of Birkenstocks on his feet, khaki Bermuda shorts, and a Bahamas shirt with coconuts. An aura of power just seemed to radiate from the man's visage. He looked fairly young, and the face kind of reminded Jason of someone. The man had to be in his late twenties, possibly early thirties. His eyes were surrounded by crinkles, like the man smiled a lot. However, it was the eyes that made it finally click for Jason.

Sea-green eyes.

This man was Percy's father.

The man pulled a golden pocket watch from his shorts pocket. “Can either of you lovely ladies tell me when Minos will be returning to his office?” He asked in light and cheerful voice that reminded Jason of waves lapping at the beach.

Both women shook their heads. The one that had checked on Jason was the one to give the man his answer. “No, Mr. Jackson, the judge said he had to run a few errands for his wife. But I'm sure he will be back soon, if you don't mind waiting.”

Percy's father pocketed his watch with a grunt. “Well that is unfortunate.” His features slowly seemed to morph, becoming less and less friendly. “I trust he knew I was coming today? I did leave a message.”

The woman nodded. “Y-yes, Mr. Jackson.”

The man's green eyes did not seem to be amused anymore. They were now like a violent storm about to sink some poor vessel at sea. “Unfortunate.” Motioning as if he were tipping a hat, Percy's father turned to leave. “Do be sure to let him know that I dropped by and that I was quite... displeased to not get a chance to sit down with him about that little misunderstanding that occurred on my property with those school kids.”

When the man left the office, Jason slowly walked back over to the filing cabinet and dropped the folders back inside. His brow furrowed. The man looked a little young to be Percy's father. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Jason grabbed his phone from on top of the filing cabinet and made his way out of the office, thanking the two ladies before he left.

Jason hurried out the motion sensor door. Once on the sidewalk, he slipped his hands into his pockets. He had to walk back to school to get his car. Since Eros had said it wasn't far from school, Jason had just opted to walk.

When he got back to the school, he found Piper and that boy that had been following Drew around sitting under one of the trees in front of the school building. Jason slowed down and altered his course, hoping to talk to them. As he drew near, Jason tossed a small wave to Piper, who noticed him from the corner of her eye.

She smiled and stood to her feet. “Afternoon, Jason.” She motioned to the boy under the tree. “I don't think you've been introduced to my brother yet. His name is Mitchell.”

“How many kids does you mom have? You're all pretty close to the same age, or so it seems.”

Piper laughed. “Ah, yes, Mom had us all close together. Silena is the oldest, having graduated last year. Next is Drew, who is a senior. Then there's me, and Mitchell is a sophomore this year.”

“Wow.”

Mitchell finally got to his feet and dusted off his legs. “Now you get why the town loves to talk about our mother. And I am the bastard, since I'm the only one born out of wedlock.” Piper smacked him for that. “Not that I mind.” He smiled and waved at Jason. “Hi, nice to finally be introduced.”

Jason laughed. “Hi. So, do you always carry Drew's things for her.”

“Mitchell,” Piper smacked her brother, “I told you to stop letting her do that.”

The boy rubbed the back of his neck. “Right, sorry.” He tilted his head to the side with a smile. “She just has a way with words... right, Jason?”

Jason could have sworn he saw something spark in the boy's green eyes, but he must have been mistaken. He shook his head and waved a hand in front of his face when the smell of lavender hit his nose. “Um, yeah, I guess. I try not to pay her much attention.”

Mitchell nudged Piper, raising an eyebrow. “Told you.”

“Told her what?”

The two's eyes widened. “Nothing,” they both quickly replied.

“Mitchell has just told me how you don't let Drew walk all over you, like she has a tendency to do with people,” Piper continued. She smiled at Jason and rested a hand on his shoulder. “I think that's great. She can be a bit of a bitch sometimes.” She leaned a bit closer. “Anyways, we should totally hangout again. I'm free tonight.”

“Um, I'm a bit distracted at the moment,” Jason confessed. Everything from the courthouse was still weighing on his mind. He swore he smelled pine, but the tree they were under was definitely not a pine tree. “I'm sure Luke can set up another day for us all to hangout.”

Mitchell laughed as Piper scratched her head. “Well I'll be damned,” she whispered.

Jason blinked. “What?”

Shaking her head, Piper smiled. “Nothing. Don't worry about it.”

The blue-eyed boy tossed his thumb over his shoulder. “Well, I think I ran into Percy's dad back at the courthouse. Did something happen at his house?”

“Ah.” Mitchell nodded. “Some kids were running around Percy's house, and his dad isn't very fond of trespassing.” He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. Jason raised an eyebrow at him. “He may have beaten one of them that he caught with his cane.”

“Oh.” Jason did not really know how to feel or respond to that. Was he surprised? Perhaps a little. “Um,” he licked his lips, “I found some files at the courthouse. I was trying to look for my family, but I sort of stumbled across some documents concerning your families.”

Mitchell frowned and Piper fidgeted. The girl tugged on the single braid that she wore in her hair. “Like what?” She asked.

Jason crossed his arms. “Did the town murder Nico's mother?”

Perhaps that had been the wrong topic. Piper's eyes became so dark. “They did,” she almost growled. Her tan fists were clenched at her sides. “Caught her on the way back from shopping. They beat her and then tied her up inside an old barn.” Piper's eyes flickered to pierce through Jason. “And then they set the barn on fire and burned her to death.”

An uncomfortable silence fell over the three of them. Mitchell swallowed a lump in his throat, looking up at Jason from the top of his eyes. Jason did not know what to say, he already felt like had stepped over the line. Nico was right; he did have a talent for putting his foot in his mouth.

A small vibrating noise drew Piper's attention. She sighed and pulled her phone from her pocket. Running a hand through her hair, Piper said, “Speak of the devil.” She turned her body partially away from Jason and Mitchell as she answered the phone. “Hey, Nico, what's up?”

Mitchell frowned as he stared at Jason. The blond was quiet, bouncing awkwardly on his heels. Why was Mitchell staring at him so intently?

A smile crept across Piper's face. “Yeah, I can do that.” She paused, her eyebrows rising. “Oh, tonight? I'll run over to her shop and meet you guys there.” She hung up the phone, turning back to the other two. “I gotta go meet Nico at Silena's shop, he needs to talk to me about stuff.”

“Is it okay if I just head home, or do I need to tag along?” Mitchell asked.

“Nah, you're fine.”

Mitchell smiled and waved at Jason. “See you around, Jason.” With a wink, the boy took off walking across the field.

Piper frowned lightly as she pocketed her phone. “You mind if I run?” She asked Jason.

The blond shook his head. “No, go ahead.”

“I'll see you later, Jason!” She called over her shoulder as she took off down the street.

Jason let out a sigh and continued on to his car. “I guess I need to get going anyways,” he whispered. His eyes widened when he remembered his plans. Pulling out his phone, he let out a curse and took off in a sprint to his car. He still needed to go home and freshen up before he met up with Kinzie and the others.

\------------------------------

“And so there's water and foam everywhere! Needless to say, Octavian's parents did not let him stay alone for almost two years.”

Jason laughed as Kinzie finished her story. He sat across from a sulking Octavian, who had vocally objected to the story being told in the first place. Jason smiled and took a sip of his drink. He was glad he had agreed to come out tonight. They weren't so bad, as long as he could keep them on the right topics.

And they were not as uptight as he originally thought, which had been a huge relief during the night. He was just glad they had a sense of humor.

Lacy smirked across the table at Jason. “So you got any good stories?”

“Ah.” Jason smirked, picking up a fry and tossing it in his mouth. “Well, there was the time I got me and my ex-girlfriend stranded on an island.” He chuckled at the looks he got. “Her name was Calypso, and her family had taken us vacationing in Hawaii. Well, I thought it would make me look cool to show off in a boat we rented. I also had no idea how to really drive one. And, well, I sort of flipped it and crashed it into a rock.” He chuckled again, scratching his cheek. “Luckily there was a small island nearby that we were able to swim to and wait for help.”

“How long were you out there?” Octavian asked.

“Several hours. It was dark by the time they got us off the island.” Jason cringed at the memory. “Needless to say her father was not happy with me. I mean, not that she wasn't as well. We didn't stay together much longer after that.”

Eros was the first to laugh. “Do you have any more stories like that?”

“Maybe a few,” Jason mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I tend to be a bit accident prone.” He smiled and pointed to his lip. “When I was really little, I thought it would be a good idea to see what a stapler tasted like. It decided to give me a scar for my efforts.”

Kinzie gave a laugh. “Poor Jason, you do not seem to have very good luck.”

A waitress stopped by their table, dropping off a small chocolate cake covered in whipped cream that the girls had ordered. Lacy stared at all three of the boys. “Any of you want some?”

Eros, Octaivan and Jason glanced at each other before shrugging and picking up their forks. Jason's eyes lit up at the taste. “This is really good!” He exclaimed.

Kinzie chuckled. “It's homemade.”

From his short time here, Jason was beginning to believe most eating places—aside from fast food—cooked their food from scratch. Not that he was complaining, he had yet to encounter anything he did not like. If he could say one thing for the south, they knew how to eat.

After the cake was gone, Jason leaned back in the booth with a groan. He was going to have to force himself to workout at some point either tonight or tomorrow. “Thanks for inviting me out,” he said with a smile.

Eros waved him off. “No problem at all. We try to do stuff at least once a week.”

Kinzie nodded with a smile. “We'll have to invite you out more often.” She poked the table. “You should think about coming to church with us, though. It's a lot of fun, aside from having to wake up early.”

Eros just shared a look with the blond, giving him a knowing smile. Jason scratched his chest. “I'm still thinking it over.”

Kinzie nodded and slid out of the booth. Each of them took turns paying for their meals before exiting the restaurant. Once outside, they all piled into Octavian's car.

Octavian made sure to check his mirrors before pulling out of his parking spot. Jason, on the other hand, felt it was a good time for some education on his part. “So how old is the town?”

“Early 1800s.” Octavian made sure to keep his eyes on the road as he answered Jason's question. Jason arched a brow at him, noting that he even held the steering wheel at the correct angles. He had begun to think that he was the only other driver out there that followed the rules of the road so closely, but then he met Octavian. “There was even a battle here during the Civil War, though it doesn't get that much attention.”

“Union soldiers burned a lot of land around here, especially plantations,” Lacy added.

There it was. Jason had been wondering how long it would be before he heard about the Civil War from people down here. Longer than he had originally thought.

He was a little thankful when they arrived back at the school, which was where Kinzie had gotten them to meet up before going to eat. It meant that he had managed to go through an evening with some of his peers and actually not have them even bring up Luke or the others. They were almost likable.

Jason waved to the others as they climbed into their cars and Octavian drove off. “Shit,” he hissed when his keys fell from his hand. Picking them up, he frowned and stopped. His brow furrowed as he glanced at the school, something catching his eye.

Squinting into the darkness, the blond caught sight of the Stolls as they climbed into one of the windows. Glancing around, Jason noted that he was the only one left in the parking lot. Pocketing his keys, Jason crept towards the building, keeping low to the ground. What were they up to?

The window was still open when he reached it. Peering inside, he saw nothing. Cursing under his breath, the blond climbed inside. His foot ended up catching on the window and he was sent, flailing, forward to the floor.

Jason stood in one of the English classrooms. The door had been left open just a crack, and peering outside, the blue-eyed boy caught sight of a flashlight as it ascended the stairs. Slipping the door closed quietly behind him, Jason crept into the hallway.

He tilted his head to the side, looking up the stairs that the twins had used. Were they pulling a prank? The could get in serious trouble, if anyone caught them. Maybe Jason should go stop them before they got in trouble. One step at a time, Jason tiptoed up the stairs. He froze at the top, hearing a locker slam shut. The clicking sound of a dial could barely be made out from where Jason stood.

“Too easy,” one of the twins whispered with a chuckle. “Here.”

“Why do I have to hold it?” Connor. Jason remembered how Luke had said Travis was the mastermind between the twins, so he knew the first voice had to have been Travis.

“Just hold on to it. We need to get it back home.” The twins took a few steps before Jason heard them stop. “And just keep it hidden when we get home. Nico and Percy are over, and I don't think Luke wants Nico hearing about this.”

“You mean until it's over,” Connor mumbled. He sighed and Jason heard them moving again.

Jason licked his lips, pressing himself up against the wall. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, resting his finger on the button to turn the flashlight on. They were getting close, but what were they carrying?

When they were practically on top of him, Jason turned the corner and shined the light on them. The twins instantly covered their eyes. Travis pushed his brother behind him. Jason rolled his eyes. “What are you two doing here?”

Travis pulled his arm away, shining the flashlight on the blond. “Jason? What the hell are you doing here?” He hissed.

Jason motioned behind him. “I saw you climbing in the window downstairs.” He frowned and peered around Travis to stare at Connor. “What were you two doing?”

Connor put his hands behind his back. “Nothing, just had to pick up a book. Have a paper to write and I forgot my textbook.”

The blond crossed his arms. “I heard you two whispering. You broke into a locker.”

Travis shrugged. “We just had something to get. Nothing to worry about, Jason. Just sit back and enjoy the show.” He grinned. “Just a little fun. You can keep quiet about this, right?”

The boy ran a hand through his hair. He stared at Travis for a second before rolling his eyes. “Yeah, sure.” He stared down at the hand that Connor slowly brought from behind his back. “But what did you get?” He moved forward and Connor instantly put the hand behind his back.

“It's nothing,” Connor insisted. Jason was not convinced. He pushed Travis aside and grabbed Connor's arm, forcing the boy to show his hand. Connor sighed and opened his palm. Jason's face contorted in confusion. “See?”

A piece of black string was stretched out across Connor's palm. Why did they need string? He looked between the two with a look of confusion covering his face. Unfortunately, Jason did not get to ask them anything. All three of them covered their eyes as a bright light hit them from behind them.

“Freeze! Don't move, kids!”


	6. Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect Two Hundred Dollars

Jason liked to think he tended to be a calm and patient person. He had lived with his strict aunt for the past few years after all. But this? He was losing his patience fast. Jason glared through his fingers at Travis, who lay on his back, kicking at the metal bars of their cell. It was like the brunet had no care in the world.

And his brother was not any more helpful. The younger twin was busy humming loudly to himself, all the while trying to squeeze his head through the bars. Just because he was skinny, did not mean he was a magician. Like it would do them any good anyways.

“Can you two stop?” Jason finally grumbled.

“Aw, come on, Jay,” Travis chuckled, hanging his head off the side of the bench to grin at the blond, “where's your sense of fun?”

“Spending my night in a jail cell after just moving to town is not my definition of fun.”

Connor pressed his feet against the bars, hanging there like some kind of monkey. “What are they going to do, charge us for stealing a piece of string?” He grinned over at his brother. “Not like we haven't been caught breaking in somewhere before.”

“Not since we were fourteen, though,” Travis reminded him. The older of the two sighed and glanced at Jason. “Just relax, we'll be out of here in no time.”

They had been in there for two hours now, and the police had yet to actually let them make a phone call. When Jason had asked the twins about it, they had simply laughed. Jason, for his part, failed to find the humor in their situation. He did not really fancy spending his night in a cold jail cell.

The blue-eyed boy pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned back against the cold brick wall. Well, he did want to get closer to these kids, he reminded himself. Nothing like sharing a cell to do the job.

The sound of boots hitting the cement floor down the hall caught Jason's attention. He sat up straight as the police officer rounded the corner. The man frowned into their cell, narrowing his eyes. Without saying a word, the man pulled out a set of keys and unlocked their cell.

“You're all free to go,” the man grumbled. “Your ride is up front finishing up the paperwork.”

The twins grinned and stepped out of the cell, making faces at the cop as he returned to the front. Jason blinked before standing to his own feet. “What just happened?” He asked.

“Dad must be here to pick us up,” Travis chuckled.

Jason froze. He watched the twins turn the corner, his mouth floundering on its own. It should not have been a big deal, but it felt like one. He knew now that these people were wealthy, but he also knew the town hated the adults from these families. It was true he had already encountered Demeter and Percy's father, but this one felt different.

The twins were already on the other side of the large desk by the time Jason arrived at the front. The boys' father stood in front of the desk. He wore a nice suit, even at this hour. The buttons looked to be made of silver, each with a little snake etched into it. On the man's finger was a ring with a turquoise stone, this one bearing two snakes crisscrossing in the stone. A small, black tweed hat sat on top of the man's head, hiding most of his black hair.

But he was not the only one there to pick up the twins. Luke, Nico, and Percy stood behind the man, though they were clad in their pajamas. Luke grinned sheepishly over at him. Nico, for his part, narrowed his eyes, probably not happy about being dragged out this late. But the curious thing was the shirt Nico wore. It was a navy blue, threatening to fall off the boy's shoulders. Obviously it was not his.

Jason's cheeks tinged pink as he glanced at Luke again. Perhaps there were other reasons Nico was unhappy about being pulled from the house in the middle of the night. Percy let out a loud yawn as Mr. Castellan finished signing the papers.

The man stood to his full height before facing the blue-eyed boy in front of him. He held his hand out with a smile. “You must be, Jason.” The man's voice was so calm, almost soothing. It almost reminded Jason of a harp being played. “I'm Hermes, Luke and these hooligans' father.”

The twins simply grinned. “Our very loving and understanding father,” they both chimed.

Hermes sighed and motioned to the cop behind the desk, who was currently on the phone. “These fine gentlemen are just contacting your aunt for me. If it's okay with her, I'd be more than happy to get you out as well.”

Jason blinked. This man, whom he just met, was offering for his release? Not that much could be done to him, as he was still a minor for a few more days. Still, it would be nice to not sleep in jail. He glanced at the phone again. Although, given how strict his aunt tended to be, the blond was worried she might let the cops keep him overnight for getting into trouble.

“No, ma'am, the gentleman is here now. He's freely offering to accept your nephew to be released into his custody.” There was a pause. “Yes, ma'am. No, his name is Castellan.” Another pause came before the cop ripped the phone away from his ear.

Jason's eyes widened. Even from this distance, he could still hear his aunt's angry yelling from over the phone. He glanced at Hermes. The man bounced on his heels, smiling down at Jason. His blue eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief. Jason was starting to guess where Luke and his brothers got it from.

The policeman winced and tried to bring the phone back to his ear. “Ma'am-”

Again he pulled it away, as it almost sounded like loud growling coming from the other end. Jason was so dead. His father had taught him a long time ago that sometimes it was simply better not to understand his aunt when she was upset. Now would probably be one of those times.

Hermes did not seem concerned. On the contrary, the man was busy inspecting his nails as the policeman was forced to listen to Jason's ranting aunt. When the man hung up the phone, Hermes looked up with a smile. “I take it I have permission to liberate young Jason here?”

The police offer narrowed his eyes with a sigh. “Yes, it is fine. I'll just need you to sign his form as well.”

“Marvelous,” Hermes replied, twisting the large ring on his finger. He pulled out his keys and dangled in the air. “Would one of you lads like to go get the car ready? Perhaps pull it around front for me.”

Percy grinned and snatched the keys from Hermes's hand. He mumbled something to Nico and dragged the grumpy boy out of the police station. Jason glanced in their direction as the door was about to close. It looked like Nico was about to yell at the other raven haired boy.

Both twins put their hands on the police officer's desk. “I believe you have our string,” Travis said smugly.

Connor grinned. “We'd like it back.”

The officer gave them a dull look. “It's sting, go find some more.”

Travis tutted, wagging his finger. “No, sir, we asked for that string. It holds a lot of sentimental value to myself and my brother here I'm afraid. I must request it be returned to us.”

Jason shot them a confused look. However, the twins were now looking at Luke, who seemed to be having a silent conversation with them. Travis smiled and winked at his brother, who seemed to relax his shoulders. Grumbling to himself, the policeman handed the small piece of string over to Travis, who grinned and put it in his pocket.

Jason glanced at the door. Blinking back at the cop, he threw his thumb over his shoulder. “Am I free to go?”

The cop nodded, but Hermes stopped the blue-eyed boy. “We'll give you a lift back to your car, Jason. After all, the twins left Luke's car there.” Luke glared at his brothers, who just chuckled. “It's no trouble at all, really.”

“Thank you, Mr. Castellan,” Jason smiled up at the man. “I guess I'll go wait outside.”

Hermes nodded at him before leaning over and signing his name on Jason's release form. Letting out a sigh, Jason pushed the door open to be greeted by the warm night air. At least the weather was not so unbearable at night. Jason's breath caught in his throat as he froze on the stairs that led up to the police station.

Percy and Nico stood nearby a van that Jason was going to assume belonged to Hermes. Percy had his hands cupped on both of Nico's cheeks, while the smaller boy held on to the side of the van. While Percy's back was to the blond, it sure looked like they were kissing. Jason shuddered as the hairs on his arms stood up. A very strange feeling came over him as a sharp intake of breath came from Nico.

The door was practically kicked open behind Jason. “You're a free man!” Luke chuckled and put an arm around Jason's shoulders.

When Jason glanced at Hermes's van again, Percy and Nico had separated. The two looked normal, like they hadn't been doing anything at all. And Nico... Did he look different? It was just that he wasn't slouching like he had been inside the police station, and didn't look so sleep deprived anymore. Nico cleared his throat as they approached. “Everything taken care of?”

Luke glanced at the brown-eyed boy before smiling. Detaching himself from Jason, Luke shifted behind Nico to wrap his arms around the boy's waist. “Yep, now we can get you off to bed. You do need your beauty sleep, after all.”

Nico turned his head to glare up at Luke, Percy snickering beside him. Jason remained silent. Nico glanced at him from behind his bangs. His lips tilted down as he stared into Jason's blue orbs. Subconsciously, Jason's eyes shifted over to Percy for a brief second. Nico seemed to tense up in Luke's arms, the color draining from his already pale face.

“Time to get you kids home.”

Jason turned to find Hermes walking up to the van, the twins following behind him. As everyone piled into the van, Jason found himself sitting shotgun up front with Hermes. The trip was quiet for the most part, save for Hermes joking about the twins getting caught. It was a little odd for Jason to hear. His father had been rather strict, but Jason was fairly certain that most parents did not challenge their kids to commit mischief without getting caught.

Upon their arrival back at school, Hermes parked the van a few spots behind where Jason had parked. “Jason,” Hermes called to him before he could shut the door. “Would you like to come have dinner with us tomorrow evening?”

That had caught him off-guard. “Um, I- uh...” It really should not have been that big of a deal, but it felt like it was. A real look inside the lives of these people the town wanted to persecute was being offered up to him. How could he say no? “Sure.”

Hermes smiled at him. “Very good. Luke can give you directions tomorrow.” Said blond had gotten out of the car at some point. He smiled over at Jason as he stood in front of the van. “I shall see you then.”

Jason nodded and closed the door. Hermes pulled out of the parking lot with the twins still in the van. Percy had Nico on the sidewalk, rambling about something. Nico smiled as the older boy gestured with his hands. How could Nico cheat on Luke like that?

“I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow night then,” Luke chuckled, nearly startling the blue-eyed boy. “It's not that hard to find, if you can remember the road we took to get to the river.”

Jason kept his focus on Luke. “I remember the road.” How could he forget it? He had walked all the way back to his apartment from that cemetery the other night. Jason chanced a quick glance over to Percy and Nico. The shorter boy let out a yawn as the two slowly made their way to Luke's parked car. Once they were far enough away, Jason turned back to Luke. “I went to the courthouse.”

“Wow, that was blunt,” Luke grinned. “I already know, Piper mentioned it to me earlier. Kept it from Nico, seeing as you found his mother's death certificate.” He glanced over his shoulder at the two other boys. “He's still having a hard time getting over it, not that I blame him.” The blond let out a breath and stuffed his hands into his pockets, his eyes returning to Jason's face. “She had stopped by the bakery on her way home. I was over at Nico's house that night, and we were both craving cupcakes.”

“Couldn't she have just made them?”

Luke chuckled. “You clearly haven't stopped by to try out the bakery yet. And the couple that runs the place is nice enough not to turn us away.” He shrugged. “Anyways, Nico's father called to ask her to pick some up for us. All we ended up getting was an anonymous call. From what my father has told me since then, it was the men that murdered her, calling to let everyone know that Maria was dead.” Luke was quiet for a long moment, swallowing a lump in his throat. “And it's never really the talk you want to have with your child. Yeah...” Luke kicked at the ground. “That was a very long night.”

Jason suddenly did not feel so well. “The cops didn't do anything?”

Luke let out a dry chuckle. “Sure, if you count letting the men sit in jail for a couple of hours. At the end of it all, the judge claimed there wasn't enough evidence to support our claims.” He was not really looking at Jason anymore, keeping his eyes just to the side of Jason's head. “That's partially why Judge Minos is one of the town's judges now. Percy and Nico's fathers keeps the man in line. At least having people afraid of you has some advantages.”

“So does paying them off,” Jason mumbled. Luke shot him a confused look. “You know, from the impression you gave me the other day, I thought you guys weren't that well off, middle class maybe, but then I find out you're all loaded.”

“Oh, that.” Luke rubbed the back of his neck. “Look, Jason, it's just something we don't like talking about. Our money is really the only thing most people want to associate with us for. The only time people are nice to our parents is when they want money, so we don't like talking about it.”

“And the truth?”

“Well, I didn't lie... exactly.” It was true, for the most part. “Everything east of the river belongs to our families, which we divided up to build houses on.”

“You're not going to include the town?” Jason arched a brow. “Eros told me your families pretty much own everything in the town.”

Perhaps it was just the low lighting, but it sure looked like Luke's cheeks flushed a little at the mention of the brunet's name. “He did, did he?” Luke rubbed his chin. The blond did not seem as cheerful anymore. Glancing back at Jason, he let out a sigh. “I suppose that is something important that I might have overlooked mentioning.” He raised his arms in a shrug. “Our families helped build the town. A lot of their money went into building everything, not to mention their blood, sweat, and tears. Out of everyone here, our families have been here the longest. We let people build their homes on our land, didn't even ask them for money. And then they attack us with their religious garbage. How is that for hospitality?”

Jason was silent. He was starting to wonder who the monsters in this town really were. The town had painted these kids and their families out to be evil, but the townspeople seemed to be more evil than any of these persecuted people. At least they did not murder innocent women on their way home.

The younger of the two blonds cleared his throat, glancing around at their surroundings. “If they hate you all so much, why don't they just run you out of town?”

“How are they going to do that?” Luke arched his brow. “They're too scared of us. The 'magic' we hold over them is that if they ever do anything, we raise prices. The school lost funding for several months after Nico's mother died, until the board was forced to fire one of the teachers involved in the murder.” The blond gestured off into the night sky. “And, as much as they claim to hate the stuff, most men in Aimes love their beer. How do you think they'd take not being able to buy that from the only place in town willing to sell it?”

“I'm sure torches and pitchforks can still be rounded up.” The two boys locked eyes. “After all, this town does seem to be living a few generations in the past.”

Luke was the first to crack a smile. “I keep remembering why I like you, Jason.” He sighed and pulled out his keys. “Well, I think I need to get these two home. After all, we do have school in the morning.”

Jason nodded and turned to head to his car, but on the way stopped and turned around. “Sorry,” he called out. Luke stopped and turned around, tilting his head to the side. “For bringing all of that up, I mean.”

Luke waved it off. “Don't worry about it. I should be apologizing for not being honest with you already. Like I've said, I don't think you're like those assholes.” With a final smile in Jason's direction, the blond turned back around and proceeded to his car.

Jason let out a heavy breath as he went to his car. It had been a long night, and he could not wait to get to his bed. No amount of strange noises was going to keep him awake tonight.

How wrong he was.

He found himself inside a small house lit by candlelight. There was a soft knock at the door. A fire crackled in the corner of the small house. The woman from the hanging, the one with the timeless face, dusted her hands off and made her way to the door. She snapped her fingers and a boy shot out of his chair. It was the same black-haired boy with a ponytail. He dropped the book he was holding, letting it crash to the floor.

When the woman opened the door, a man and woman stood outside. The man took off his hat and bowed his head to the woman whose house they were entering. Behind the woman stood a younger boy.

He looked to be around the same age as the other boy. But the scary thing was how eerily similar he looked to Nico. The same shaggy black hair, though this boy wore it longer, his bangs framing his face. He even had the same dark brown eyes that Nico did. But he had an olive skin tone. His shirt was loose, exposing the top of his chest.

The next person to enter the house made everything spin. It was the girl from the execution. She stood there beside the tall brown-eyed boy. Her hair was up in a bun, bonnet securely in place. Her dress was neat and covered all but her hands.

The man, presumably the father, motioned to the two children in the doorway. But when he opened his mouth to speak, a muffled sound came out. It was like hearing the conversation with ears full of cotton balls. The woman of the house inspected the girl, tilting her chin up. She spoke, but the same muffled words came out. She looked disappointed, though. It was the children's mother that stepped forward next.

She placed her hands on her son's shoulders with a smile. The woman with the timeless face looked the boy over. Whatever she said to the boy made him smile and nod. The timeless faced woman circled the boy with careful eyes. She nodded before motioning to the other boy in the house, presumably her own son.

The daughter bowed, looking up when the boy kissed her hand. With a closer look, the boy with the ponytail's eyes seemed to shine like gold in the dark lighting. When his mother placed her hand on his back, the two boys in the room stared at each other. It was just frustrating, not being able to understand what they were saying.

The boy with ponytail bowed, as did the other boy. When they looked up, the brown-eyed boy smiled, his eyes looking the slightly taller boy over. They stood up and shook hands. There was a spark of interest in the brown-eyed boy's eyes as he smirked at the boy with the ponytail.

The smoke from the fireplace seemed to swirl around the scene, slowly dissolving it away. The two boys from before sat in a field of wheat. The boy with the ponytail was staring off at the setting sun, while the boy next to him picked at a piece of wheat.

The boy with the ponytail shut one of his eyes, crossing his legs as he watched the sun slowly descend. “What doest thou think about the claims of those young girls?”

The olive-skinned boy rolled his eyes, bringing his knees up to his chest. “Possibly stumbled upon some mushrooms. Seems like the most likely explanation.” He turned his head, shutting one of his eyes from the sun. “My sister seems to have eyes for thee.”

The taller and paler of the two let out a breath, not meeting the gaze of his friend. “So I have noticed.” He glanced at the other boy. “My mother has been impressed with your studies.” He did not seem as cheerful as the olive-skinned boy. “Although, I do worry that thou are not being careful.”

“Thou worries too much.” The brown-eyed boy licked his lips, looking out at the town on the horizon. “My studies require this sort of practice. The rest of Salem will never be the wiser.” The boy with the ponytail was quiet. The olive-skinned boy smiled and stood up. Letting out a sigh, he held his hand out for the other to take. “Come.” The taller boy remained still. The standing boy chuckled. “Come, Kronos.”

Kronos. Kronos. Kronos. The name kept repeating, over and over again. The world began to swirl, spinning out of control. Falling away, into the abyss. Into the darkness below.

Jason shot up with a start. He quickly looked around, not recognizing his surrounding. He was in the woods, which were covered heavily in fog. It was still dark out, so the blond could barely make out anything around him.

He stumbled to his feet, his head pounding. How did he get here? Checking his pockets, he let out a groan. There were no keys on him. He sighed and looked around again. Where was he? The last thing he remembered was laying down in his warm bed, and now he was stranded out in the middle of nowhere. Not much of a change from the recent changes in his life, he thought bitterly.

Jason ran his hand through his hair as he slowly turned around, evaluating his options. It was anyone's guess at which way led him back to town. Like his keys, his phone was still in Ms. Mellie's house. With a heavy sigh, Jason randomly chose a direction and began marching through the woods.

\---------------------------

A yawn escaped Jason as he dragged his feet towards his car. It had been nearing six by the time he had gotten back to the house, and then another fifteen minutes trying to wake Ms. Mellie to open the door for him. Poor woman, she had been just as confused as Jason felt as to why he had been outside in the first place. Needless to say, Jason had not gotten to go back to bed. Instead, he had been forced to endure his time at school with the very little sleep he had managed to get.

He still had dinner with Luke's family later, but he was feeling a nap was in order first. Luckily, school had come to an end after an eternity. Nico had been fairly quiet during their class together, only speaking when he needed to.

However, the blond was getting plenty of attention from the rest of the student body. As if on cue, two girls stopped him on the grass that was at the center of all four school buildings. The taller of the two, a sports player by the looks of her, placed a hand on his arm.

“Now we all heard about your tragic time with those demon twins. The whole school is talking about it, really.” She shifted the books in her arms. “I was just letting you know that the school is praying for you. Jesus talked with the sinners and all that, it's heroic really what you're doing, but everyone's scared that your soul is gonna get damned to hell.”

Jason glanced over the girl's shoulder, noticing someone approaching. “Don't be silly, we'll suck out his soul after we eat his heart.” Luke cracked a smile as the two girls scurried off, whispering to themselves. He shook his head and glanced at Jason. “You look exhausted, man.”

“I am,” Jason mumbled.

“You still okay for dinner tonight?”

The younger blond nodded and adjusted his glasses. “I'll be there, I'm just going to grab a short nap beforehand.”

Luke laughed and pulled out a piece of paper. “Here.” He leaned forward and pointed at the scribbling on the paper. “There's our address, shouldn't be too hard to find.” He shifted Jason, facing them towards the woods beyond the school, and pointed into the distance. “You'll come to the road we turned off on to go to the river. Just keep going past that until you find a small cemetery. Right after that are the family houses, mine is the third one on the right.”

“Got it,” Jason replied, pocketing the slip of paper. “I guess I'll be there a little before six.”

“Great,” Luke smiled at him. “I'm helping Nico with a project, so he will probably stay for dinner. I'm assuming that's not a problem?”

Jason shook his head. “Nope, not unless he has a problem with it.”

The older blond laughed and started walking towards the parking lot. “Not really giving him a choice in the matter.” Luke rubbed his jaw. “Still not entirely sure what his problem is with you, though, yet. But I think he's starting to come around a bit.”

The two talked a little more on their way to their respective cars, sports mostly. Another unfortunate circumstance to their standing with the town, none of these kids were able to get on the teams at school. Not because of lack of ability, but because of who they were.

When they arrived at their cars, the two parted ways and Jason found himself on his way home. Just not the home he wanted to be going to. But he was thankful when he walked into the house and was able to collapse on his bed.

He cracked an eye open to look at his phone, which had fallen from his hand when he fell on the bed. He really did miss home, wanted to talk to someone from home. Sure he had his aunt that he talked to every now and then, but she usually just told him to “suck it up”. As loving as always.

Quickly opening his phone to set his alarm, Jason scooted up the bed. Letting out a sigh, he rolled over on his back and shut his eyes. He needed sleep. Well, there was always Lee, but he was still in school. Later, the blond thought before drifting off into a deep sleep.

His alarm woke him up at five. He still felt groggy, but he could not be late for the dinner. Yawning, Jason sat up and shut off his alarm. He smiled and scrolled through his contacts until he found the one he wanted. Jason pressed the phone to his ear and leaned back against the headboard.

“Hello, stranger,” came the familiar voice of his ex-boyfriend. “How are things down there in the south? Gotten eaten by a gator?”

Jason laughed at the boy's attempt at a southern accent. “Hey, Lee.” 

“What are you up to?”

Jason yawned and stretched one of his arms. “Just woke up from a nap. Have to get ready and go over to a friend's house soon.”

“Oh. Like a... date?” While he did sound teasing, Jason had to wonder if Lee was slightly hurt.

The blue-eyed boy smirked. “Why? Are you jealous?” Jason let out a sigh. “Doesn't really matter, because he has a boyfriend, who is actually the friend I'm having dinner with.” It felt strange, admitting he was attracted to Nico out loud to someone else.

Lee let out a laugh. “So you've moved on from having your own bad relationships, and now you're trying to break others up.” The boy cleared his throat, the sound of a car door shutting. “Sorry, just getting out of school when you called. Don't pay me any mind, I'm just teasing. Um, so how are you anyways?”

“I'm fine.” Jason laid a hand over his eyes. “It's been rough here, especially with no one that I know around. No sign of my family either. I'm starting to wonder if my aunt was smoking something.”

“Again?” The brunet chuckled. “But, seriously, you're doing okay?”

“Yeah.”

“And... you're still moving back when you graduate?”

Jason hummed and picked a piece of lint off of his shirt “That's the plan.” Frowning, he flicked the lint away. “How are you guys doing? Cecil been getting you into trouble?”

He could feel Lee's smile, without even having to hear the other. “Sounds like you miss us. Hopefully some southern boy doesn't come along and snatch you up. Because they'd probably just be disappointed.” Lee snorted. “Cecil asked me earlier to see if you were still hung up on your dream boy.”

Jason chuckled. “Unfortunately, I guess Besides, most gay guys here are probably deep in the closet. I'll look for some Christmas presents tomorrow at school, see if some found any back there.” Another laugh from his ex-boyfriend. “I mean, I know a few. Obviously, since two of them are dating.” The blond let out a chuckle.

Lee hummed quietly. “Well, if the one you like ends up single, be careful. Wouldn't want him hurt for no reason. Because you're going to be moving away after graduation, and you can't seem to stay invested in a relationship with a real guy that isn't thought up in your head.”

“Thanks,” Jason mumbled bitterly. Jumping up, he grabbed his keys and wallet. “I guess I should be heading to dinner, but we can still talk for a bit.”

“Yeah.” Lee took a pause before he continued. “So, Cecil wanted to know if you wanted to come back for Christmas? I'm sure Lupa wouldn't mind letting you come home for a few weeks.”

“I don't know.” Jason tossed a small wave to Ms. Mellie as he headed out the door. “I guess I can ask her about it.”

“Well, if you can't, Cecil's dad does own that airline. He could probably have us fly out there. It would suck to be alone on Christmas.”

That didn't sound too bad. And it was true, Jason did not want to be alone on Christmas. He did have Ms. Mellie, but it didn't really feel like home. Not that Jason didn't appreciate all the effort she put forth. “Yeah, I'll check with Aunt Lupa and get back to you. Wouldn't be a bad idea.”

“I'll talk to you later, Jason.”

Even though Lee couldn't see it, Jason nodded. “See ya.”

While they had remained friends, Jason always felt guilty about how he and Lee had ended in their relationship. Like any other person Jason had dated, he could just not invest himself in the relationship he had with Lee. Too hung up on this boy from his dreams. And the guilt just felt worse because he still kept in contact with Lee.

The road was less maintained the farther out he went, not that he was surprised by this. He had already traveled the road twice, and the time he spent on foot had seared the road into his mind. It was an old, paved gravel road with leaves and small branches littering it. Looking around, it felt like the trees were closing in on him, becoming more dense as Jason drove.

Soon enough, the boy passed by the turn for the river. He slowed down after crossing a small bridge. The road began to narrow, barely becoming wide enough for two cars to share. Looking into the woods, Jason caught sight of an old wooden house on the verge of collapsing. The trees had grown up around it, while vines spread across what was left of its exterior.

He stopped the car for a few seconds when he reached the cemetery. As the wind blew, leaves scattered across the old steps that trailed up the small hill that the grave site was placed on. The rusted iron gate swung in the wind, the latch up and preventing it from staying shut. With a small sigh, Jason continued down the old road until he reached the first house.

With the woods like they were, and the driveways appearing to be rather long, Jason was unable to see any house. On the front of the gate was the head of a boar with two spears in its mouth. The teenage boy continued down the road until he found the one he was looking for.

Two snakes criss-crossing around a caduceus sat in the center of this gate, the same symbol that Jason found on the jewelry everyone wore from Luke's family. He parked his car at the edge of the driveway and got out to push the gate open.

Upon driving through, he got out a second time to shut the gate back. When Jason took his hands off the gate, the wind picked up. The boy stopped and frowned. He felt like someone was watching him. Jerking around, Jason was only met by his car. He shivered, feeling something cold run down his back.

Glancing over his shoulders, several leaves blew away in the wind. Jason's lips tilted down into a frown as he got back into his car. He must be imagining things, the blond thought to himself.

The driveway was longer than he had been expecting. It winded around a beautiful giant yard. Trees were scattered across the landscape, there was even a weeping willow towards the very center that the driveway passed.

And there was the house, a giant manor that looked like it belonged in the south. It was beautiful with a small balcony on the second floor and large windows on the ground floor. Columns lined the front of the house, supporting the roof. And the trees had been perfectly aligned around the driveway, making it appear that the mansion had caused the woods to part for it. It had been well kept for however long it had been standing, possibly even renovated.

Parked at the end of the driveway were four vehicles. All of them looked brand new and spotless. There was the van, which Jason had already seen, but he recognized one of the other three. The silver mustang that had picked up the twins after school was parked directly behind the van.

Jason parked behind the vehicles and turned off his engine. Taking a deep breath, Jason opened his car and stepped out into the giant yard. He stood there for a moment, simply staring up and marveling at the manor before him. It sort of reminded him of Wayne manor from the new Batman trilogy.

“There he is,” came Luke's voice from Jason's side. The blue-eyed boy turned to find the other blond and Nico walking towards him, carrying quite a few leaves in their hands. “I take it you found the place easily enough?”

Jason just shrugged. “Wasn't bad at all. This is a really nice place, and a really big yard.”

Luke chuckled and clapped a free hand across Nico's back. “You should see Nico's house then. It's a little bit bigger than mine.”

“Really not important,” Nico sighed. He frowned down at the green leaves in his hand. “I need the Ziploc bags we picked up.”

“Yeah, they're in my car.” Luke pulled out his keys and pressed a button on his keychain. The silver mustang chimed lightly and unlocked its doors. “There you go.”

Nico grunted and opened the passenger side door. Jason's brow furrowed. That was strange, he thought. “Didn't you have an older car, with really bad seats?” He glanced at Luke. “No offense.”

“Oh, right.” Luke pursed his lips, his brow creasing. “Um, I... got a new car.”

“In a day?” Jason asked skeptically.

Nico shut the car door and shot Luke a look before narrowing his eyes at Jason. “First you complain about us not being honest about our money, and now you're complaining about Luke getting a new car in the spur of the moment.”

Luke smiled at Nico, but there seemed to be something wrong. The other blond chewed on his lip as he pocketed his keys. “Ready to go inside?” He asked Jason.

Luke led the way up the stairs, up to the giant wooden doors. Opening the right door, Luke held the door open while Nico and Jason stepped inside. He closed the door as Jason stood in awe before the house. It was... not quite what he had been expecting from outside.

The walls were pure white, the floor hardwood, so shiny that Jason could practically see himself in. The furniture was lavish and looked like it had just been purchased. There was even a fireplace in the living room. A small mirror was perched over an entry table placed across from the door against a wall. A winding staircase wound its way up around the wall next to the small table. There was even a giant flatscreen mounted on the wall opposite one of the couches in the living room.

Jason felt very small in this place. He would not be surprised if he could fit all three of the homes he had lived in growing up inside this house. And he had only seen the entrance of the house. Jason could only imagine what the rest looked like.

The sound of footsteps caught Jason's attention. Hermes rounded a corner on the staircase, dressed a lot more casually than he had the night before. Hermes slowed down when he noticed them in the entryway of the house. “Ah, there you are, Jason.” He jumped down the last step and smiled, extending his hand for the blue-eyed boy to shake. “I'm pleased to have you as my guest this evening.”

“Thank you for having me,” Jason said with a smile.

“I think the lady of the house is still busy with dinner,” Hermes informed them. His eyes fell upon his eldest son. “Did you and Nico finish with his project.”

Luke smiled and held up both of his hands to show the leaves to his father. “Most of it. I think we can hunt through the rest of the woods over the weekend and finish up with what he needs.”

The father motioned over his shoulder. “Well, why don't you two run those up to your room and get cleaned up? You can show Jason around while we finish up preparing dinner.”

Luke smiled and nodded. He winked over at Jason before running up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Nico rolled his eyes and followed after the blond. Jason and Hermes watched them until they were out of site. The man smiled down at him before motioning to a large window that hung over a small garden.

Whatever was cooking, Jason could already smell it, and it smelt amazing. He just hoped that his stomach didn't start growling from the smell. The blued-eyed boy faced the window again and just stood there, staring out at all the grass and trees that surrounded the house.

“Beautiful, isn't she?”

Jason glanced up at Hermes. “Yes, sir. It's very peaceful out here, not anything like back in California.”

The man chuckled at that. “Our families have lived out here a very long time. Not sure I could see us living anywhere else. While these houses that you see now weren't here, my family was living here even before the Civil War.” He pointed to an area just past a large tree behind the house. “I've been thinking about building some other things around the house, since we have a big yard. Perhaps a big shed right over there.”

It really was a big yard, but not much other than the house occupied it. “Were there ever tree houses or swings? With all of the kids, I just figured that there might have been some.”

“Very perceptive.” The man hooked his thumb through his belt loop and pointed off into the woods. “Since there were so many kids, a lot around the same age, we designated an area for playing. All of our families live within a short walking distance, so we chose the Dare estate.” He cleared his throat. “At the time, Hera didn't have any kids...of her own,” the man's brow creased as he spoke, “at least until she adopted Rachel. But it all worked out, I suppose.”

Once again, Jason was drawn to the sound of footsteps. Nico emerged at the bottom of the staircase. Jason smiled at him, and it actually looked like Nico's cheeks turned a light shade of pink. The blue-eyed boy's lips tilted up even more. Maybe there was some hope for him to be Nico's friend?

“Sweet kid,” Hermes mused. Jason looked up and found Hermes with a raised eyebrow. Shit, Jason thought, he had been caught staring by Nico's boyfriend's father. “He stays around here a lot, so I like to think of him as part of the family, especially after his mother's passing.”

“I was sorry to hear about that,” Jason whispered.

“We all were.” Hermes cleared his throat and looked back out the window. “He used to be a handful when he was little, an endless ball of energy. It was sad to change so much after Maria's passing.”

“Dad.” Both males turned around to find Luke standing. “Let's try not to depress the guest.” He smirked at Jason, nodding his head behind him. “Come on, I'll show you around outside first, and we'll work our way up to my room.”

While there was not a whole lot in the yard, it was still a beautiful sight. It did not feel as humid today, which was also nice. There was an old barn on the border of the woods, which Luke said was from when their families originally settled in the area. There was a gazebo out back with a glass table and some chairs, even a swing on the back porch.

Luke spent nearly fifteen minutes just sharing stories from his childhood. They were quite different growing up, Jason and Luke. While Luke and the others had been getting into adventures in the woods, Jason had been studying and getting the highest grades in his class.

Nico joined them once they were back inside the house, tagging along next to Luke and bumping shoulders with the blond every few steps. The dining room looked new, the table shining under the crystal chandelier. Hermes had even stocked a wine cabinet in the room, which was not even locked to keep the kids out. “Dad doesn't really care,” Luke had said.

There was a study opposite the kitchen, which Luke said was primarily was used by their father. The older blond did give Jason a quick peek inside, only to find a fairly average room filled with a desk, office chair, an average sized bookshelf packed with old books, another flatscreen—though not as big as the one in the living room—and a treadmill.

“Dad likes to stay in shape,” Luke chuckled as he shut the door.

“Your dad looks really young.” It was true, and the same had applied to Percy's own father. Both men, as well as Demeter, looked rather young, considering their children. Especially Demeter, whose daughter was now Nico's stepmother. “He looks like he's in his twenties.”

“Ah, yes, that.” Luke chuckled as he shut the door to the study. “Well, my parents married young, and had me not long after that. Which is the case with a lot of our parents.”

Nico studied Jason for a moment, something clearly going on in his head. Luke smiled and nudged the younger boy before leading them towards the stairs. “I guess there's not much else to show. We'll just finish with my room. Seeing as how I respect my father's privacy and the twins might have toxic waste stored in their room, we won't visit their rooms.”

Jason laughed as he jogged up the stairs after the ever so slightly taller blond. His eyes lingered for a moment on Nico's butt as the boy walked ahead of him. The boy should really not wear tight jeans, Jason thought. He felt wrong for looking, so he quickly cast his eyes to the floor. His parents had raised him better than that.

Luke's room was towards the end of the hall, the last door on the left. It was rather clean, not entirely what Jason had expected. “Not that he cleans it,” Nico had said after Jason made a joke.

Luke beamed at Nico and wrapped his arm around the smaller boy. “Thank you, dear,” he said, pressing his lips to Nico's cheek with a laugh. Nico squirmed away and wiped off his cheek, sticking his tongue out at the blond.

Luke's room was fairly average, aside from the size. It was definitely larger than his room back in California, possibly just a little smaller than his entire current apartment. There was a computer desk against one of the walls, and next to it an opened closet. Luke was definitely not lacking in clothes, Jason thought as he looked inside. The bed was a full size by the looks of it, a light blue comforter and white sheets covering it. There were a few sports memorabilia, school books piled on the bed, and all three major gaming consoles with his own flatscreen TV.

Luke motioned to the room with a lopsided smile. “Well, this is my room. Not super fancy, I guess.” His expression looked perplexed as he took in Jason's mild expression of awe. What Jason would not give to live here. “I mean, I guess it is a lot, but it's not a big deal.”

He had to be kidding. There was a bed-sized bean bag chair in the corner of the room! And his own mini-fridge! Turning around only caused Jason to flail his arms. There was a wall of video games and movies! How could Luke be so casual? This was heaven.

“Oh,” Luke said, motioning back over his shoulder, “there's a gaming room down at the other end of the hall. Dad put it in for all us boys to enjoy gaming, but he pops in every now and then to join us. The man's good at Grand Theft Auto... scary good.” He cleared his throat and then chuckled. “You want to see that?”

“Dinner!” Came a yell from downstairs.

“Oh, well I guess that answers that question.” Luke chuckled and opened his door, heading down the hall. With a quick glance at Jason, Nico slowly followed after the blond.

Jason took in a deep breath, casting a final look at the room. If he did have family here, he was starting to wish it was one of these families. Perhaps that was a little selfish of him, but he doubted he would ever want for anything. What person in their right mind wouldn't choose to have this life, if given the choice. He was not entirely sure what would happen to him after high school. His parents had never had that much money, and his aunt would probably get him a scholarship. Hopefully that would last through most of whatever university he chose.

Something caught Jason's attention as he was about to close Luke's door. On the computer desk sat a large framed picture of a young Luke and Nico. The blond's hair was longer back then, nearly covering his eyes. The kid even had a big, toothy grin. But the thing he noticed about Luke was that there was no scar on the blond's face. Jason frowned as he stared at the grinning child. What had happened between the time this picture had been taken and the present?

Jason's eyes widened as he finally payed attention to Nico. The brown-eyed boy's skin was an olive complexion, just like the boy in his dream. It was almost scary how similar the two would look if Nico's skin were not pale now. He was so small, and looked so happy. It must have been before Maria's death. But how did a boy become so pale? The boy in the photo looked healthy and alive, nothing like the image of Nico in his current state. Not even like Bianca, or even Medea, who was pale, but nowhere near that of Nico.

“Jason, you coming?” Luke popped his head into the room, eyes instantly falling on the photo in Jason's hand. “Oh...”

Jason shook his head, placing the picture back where he found. “I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been-”

“No, it's fine.” Luke eyed the photo for a brief moment before casting his eyes at Jason. “That was a long time ago, almost like a dream now. He was so much happier back then, I think we all were. But I don't think anyone in our families were ever meant to be happy.” The blond bit down on his lip. “You know it's true what they say, money doesn't buy happiness. You just feel... empty... and alone. Anyways, we should get downstairs, Penelope wants to meet you.”

“Penelope?”

Luke smiled as the two walked down the stairs. “The twins' mother and my father's current wife.”

“You say current like you expect me to remarry, Luke,” Hermes said as they rounded the corner of the stairwell.

Luke stiffened and chuckled nervously. “You know I'm fine with her, Dad. All of this is a lot to take in for Jason, I'm sure. I didn't even begin to cover your fling with Libye, who you divorced before even having children with.”

“That was before your mother and she was an old crone that would not stop talking,” Hermes said with the wave of his hand, his eyes closed. “But I suppose you're right.” He motioned towards the hallways. “Why don't we head in for dinner?”

Everyone else had already taken their place at the table by the time the three of them arrived. By the looks of it, Jason would be sitting across from Luke, as the blond sat down between Nico and his father, who sat at the head of the table.

At the other end was a fair-looking woman with the same color hair as Travis and Connor. It flowed down over her shoulders like a waterfall, curling slightly at the ends. Around her wrist was another bracelet with the caduceus and the snakes. It was starting to click in Jason's mind that these were probably family crests.

She smiled at Jason as he took his seat. “We're so glad to have you here this evening, Jason.”

He returned her smile with one of his own. “I'm happy to be here.”

The woman gave a slight nod. “You may call me Penelope.”

Dinner slowly went by like it would for a normal family with a guest in the house. The food was delicious, possibly the best Jason had yet to have during his time in the south or even his entire life, and the candles that Penelope had lit filled the dining room with the scent of pine.

“So, Jason, tell us about California,” Hermes said out of the blue. “Been out there myself, but it's been quite a few years.”

“Really?” Jason smiled and finished chewing his food. “It's nice, the weather is always fairly warm. Everyone freaks out when it rains or even reaches sixty degrees.” The blue-eyed boy laughed and everyone smiled. “I suppose not quite like here.”

“You can wear shorts in the winter here as well,” Travis said with a grin.

Luke shrugged. “Yeah, but the humidity makes the wind feel really cold.”

“You'll have to make sure you get a jacket then, if you didn't pack one,” Penelope said, wiping her mouth.

Jason glanced across the table when things fell quiet for a moment. Not that he wanted to admit he had been staring, but he had noticed that Nico was not eating very much. The pale boy sat there, poking at his food with his fork. Luke seemed to take notice as well and he leaned in to whisper in the brown-eyed boy's ear. For a brief moment, a pained look appeared in Nico's dark orbs before he speared a piece of beef and stuffed it into his mouth, his face contorting into displeasure.

Hermes cleared his throat to get Jason's attention again. “And you're here looking for your father's family, is that right?”

Jason took his eyes off of Nico with a frown. He met Hermes's mischievous blue eyes with a wry smile. “Yes, sir, though I've had no luck so far. Apparently there aren't any Graces around here.”

“Can't say that there are.” Hermes took a sip of wine. “What was your father's name anyways?” His eyes flickered up to Jason, staring at him curiously.

“Um...” Jason blinked. He felt like he was under a microscope all of a sudden from the way the man was staring at him. “Jupiter, sir.”

Hermes grunted and took another sip. “Afraid I've never heard of anyone around here ever having that name either.”

Dinner continued on with little small talk, though Jason quickly became aware of the watchful eyes of Hermes that seemed to always be on him. Had he done something wrong? Jason had been trying to be as polite as possible.

When Hermes went to open his mouth again, Luke cut him off. “Dad, leave him alone. You always told us it wasn't polite to stare.”

“So I did.” Hermes finally smiled and held up his glass. “My apologies, Jason, I was just trying to see if I could place your face with anyone I knew.” His lips tilted up as he took a sip of his wine, a spark flashing in his eyes before he looked away from Jason.

“May we be excused?” Luke asked, sitting down his fork. “I thought I could show Jason the game room for a little while until he needs to leave.”

Hermes nodded, choosing not to answer verbally. The twins grinned and shot out of their chairs, and were up the stairs before Luke and the others could even stand up. Luke just chuckled and pushed his chair under the table before leading the other boys towards the staircase.

Now that they were going at a slower pace, it allowed Jason to take some time to look at the family photos that decorated parts of the house. There were quite a few, detailing each boy in the family and their development over the years. One detail that he was quick to pick up on was the lack of photos of Luke after receiving a scar. At least there weren't that many in the hallways.

Most were family portraits, but there were also individual photos that had been placed throughout the house. Jason stopped in front of one. Luke slowed down when he noticed and let the others move past him. He smiled as he stood beside Jason, reaching out to pick up the family portrait on the small hallway table.

“That one was taken shortly after the twins were born.”

Jason glanced the family over before his eyes lingered on Hermes. “Your dad hasn't aged much over the years.”

The blond shrugged. “Good genes, I guess.” He chuckled and nudged the other blond next to him. “Just don't go hitting on my dad, if that's where your mind is going.”

“Gross.” Jason made a quick face, but soon smiled and nudged Luke back. “So what are we playing?” He asked. Luke grinned wickedly as he opened the door that the other boys had disappeared into.

\-----------------------------

“You two are horrible cheaters,” Luke sighed as he reclined on the long couch that the family kept in the gaming room.

And that was exactly what it was. A giant projector worked as the monitor for the gaming consoles that were stored in the room. So not only did Luke have all the consoles in his room, but another set was in this room as well. When Jason had asked about that, Luke said it was to ensure that anyone could play whatever they wanted whenever they wanted. And the speakers were amazing, almost like a movie theater. The couch even had cup holders.

The group had decided on Super Smash Bros. on the Wii U. Since there was five of them, Nico offered to sit out, while only playing for Luke every so often. But never for very long.

The twins both stuck their tongues out at Luke. “You're just a sore loser,” Connor mocked.

“It's not like they actually had a way to cheat,” Nico jumped in, his legs strewn across Luke's lap. Luke pouted at the boy, who rolled his eyes. “Stop being a baby and accept that they beat you.”

The blond continued to pout, placing a hand on the brown-eyed boy's leg. “Why do you have to take their side? You like me better, you're supposed to side with me.”

Nico smirked and let his head drop onto his shoulder. “You're such a child.” Letting out a yawn, the pale boy pulled out his phone. “It's getting late, I should probably get going.” Nico stood up and stretched.

Luke placed the controller beside him, standing to his feet. “You're not staying here?”

“I've got that thing in the morning.”

“Oh.” Luke pursed his lips. “Well, okay.”

Jason got to his feet as well. “I guess I should probably head home as well.”

“Well damn,” Luke mumbled, “everyone's leaving.”

“It is a school night,” Nico reminded his friend.

“Yeah, yeah.” Luke waved the shorter boy off before opening the door. He let out a sigh and motioned for Jason and Nico to head out. “I'll see you both off.”

As they stepped into the hall, Jason's eyes fell upon the door opposite them. It was completely sealed, not even a crack under the door could be seen. And on top of that, the door was locked and bolted from the outside.

“What's in there?” Jason asked.

“Nothing,” Luke replied quickly. He cast his eyes to the floor before motioning down the hall. “It's not important, just some... things-”

“Things Hermes keeps around,” Nico interjected. He bit his lip and shot Luke a glance, who had his eyes hidden behind his blond bangs. “We should go.”

When they got to the bottom of the stairs, Nico hugged Luke. The blond buried his nose into the boy's raven locks, Nico's arms wrapped tightly around him. “I'll come pick you up in the morning,” Luke whispered as they pulled away.

Jason scratched his cheek and looked away. He wondered if he should let them have a moment to say goodbye. Jason had the feeling they were just being polite and refraining from kissing in front of him. Nico stepped out the door, tossing Luke a smile as he stepped outside.

Luke shook Jason's hand. “I guess I'll see you in the morning as well.”

“Yeah,” Jason replied before heading out as well. When the door shut behind him, he jogged to catch up to Nico. “I can give you a ride, if you want.”

“No thanks.” With only moonlight, Nico's face was hard to make out. But he was there, right next to Jason. The one advantage of Nico being pale was that it at least allowed the blond to make out where the boy's face was. But Nico's expression was still unreadable, and he did not appear to even look at Jason when speaking. The boy randomly came to a stop. “I didn't mean it like that. It's just that I live right next to Luke.”

“Oh.” Jason gave a nod, glancing between Nico and the ground. He rocked on his heels, unsure what to do. They were both just standing there, staring at each other. “I guess I'll, um, see you later.”

“Yeah,” Nico mumbled. He cleared his throat and looked away.

Jason nodded, pursing his lips and pulling out his keys. Perhaps it was for the best. Jason unlocked his car and opened his door.

“Um, Jason?”

The blue-eyed boy turned around to find Nico standing there, rubbing his arm awkwardly. “Did you need something?”

The brown-eyed boy motioned with one of his hands, as if he were indicating an area behind him. “It's just that I'm not really ready to go home yet, but I've been crashing with Luke for the past two nights and I feel like I'm starting to be a burden.”

Jason let out a chuckle. “I doubt Luke thinks you're a burden.”

“I stay there a lot,” Nico mumbled. The boy ran a hand through his hair, not meeting Jason's eyes. “Home's... not my favorite place to be a lot of nights.”

Was Nico abused? Was something going on? Jason shut his car door, placing his hands back into his pockets. “Well, do you want to go driving around with me?”

Nico eyed the car for a second before shaking his head. “Would you just walk with me for a moment? I just need a little bit more time before I go home.”

“Sure, we can do that.” Jason took in a breath before stepping over to where Nico stood. “Where shall we go?”

The boy pointed down the driveway. “Don't really care where we go, just want to walk.” Without another word, the boy slowly began walking down the long driveway. Jason jogged to catch up, falling into step beside the shorter boy. “You don't have to do this, if you don't want to.”

The blond smiled happily. He probably looked like an idiot, but Nico was actually wanting to socialize with him outside of their class together. Just the two of them. “Wouldn't be here if I didn't. I will get you to be my friend.”

Now that they were out from under the majority of the trees, the light allowed Jason to witness Nico rolling his eyes. “You're a dork. But I suppose you're the best I've got for the time being, aside from going back to bother Luke.”

“You're so kind.” Jason couldn't stop himself from grinning even more, and he slid his hands into his pockets. “I can see why people like you so much, you just have this sensitive aura about you.”

When they reached the road, Nico took a left, kicking at a small rock. “I don't really care if people at school, or even the town, likes me. What do they even matter? All they'll ever see is what they want and they'll never be able to see past the veil of blindness that is covering their eyes. For all the good they claim to do, most Christians just like to throw their weight around and force their beliefs on others.”

“They might argue the same about you, even if it's not really the same thing.”

“Well it is legal now.” Nico tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. “What about you? What do you believe?”

The two came to a stop while Jason took a moment to reply. “I believe in being a decent human being to each other. As far as religion, I've never much cared for it. I have a hard time believing in some invisible being that is supposed to rule from the skies.”

Maybe it was just the poor lighting, but Jason could have sworn he saw a spark in Nico's eyes. “What if you were to ever see one?” He chuckled and kept walking. “I suppose it wouldn't be a good idea to see one, would it? I can't imagine an immortal, all powerful, being to be a very nice person to meet.”

Jason's brow furrowed as he watched Nico from the corner of his eyes. “'Ever see one'? Are you polytheist?”

Placing his hands behind his head, Nico stared up at the moon. “I don't really like talking about my religion. Obviously the town thinks I worship the devil. But, then again, that would imply I believe there is such a thing as the devil.”

Jason's eyes roamed the woods as they continued to walk. It was so dark out, and the trees made it almost impossible to see. And to make matters worse, the road had no street lights. The closest things to street lights that the old road had were candles that burned on either side of the iron gates that led to the houses. There was also a lot of noises, including howling. But Nico did not seem to be bothered by it, so he remained silent about the issue. However, would it have killed Nico to have brought a flashlight?

When they reached the first house, Jason slowed down for a few seconds. They were nearing the cemetery. “So, when or if you came out back home, did you break a lot of girls' hearts when you came out as bisexual? I mean, did it deter them from trying to date you?” Nico asked after a moment, breaking the silence.

“Not really. Um, I had one girl that thought I might cheat on her with my ex because we were still friends, but I never actually dated her. Kind of broke it off because of that. Which it was kind of nice to end something differently.”

Nico tilted his head to the side. “Differently?”

The blond rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I don't have the best track record with dating.” Nico arched a brow at that. Sure Jason knew what he was thinking, Jason got it all the time. He was attractive, so therefore he must be great with anyone he was interested in. There was just one problem. “Um, how do I explain this without sounding stupid?”

“Don't worry, I already think you're a dork, how much worse could you get?” Nico smirked at him, which made Jason's stomach do a flip.

Jason laughed loudly, slowing down. Nico came to a stop in front of the pathway that led up to the cemetery, facing Jason with an amused look. The blue-eyed boy cleared his throat. “Well, there's this guy, and I've never really been able to get him off my mind.” Jason let out a chuckle. “I think I might have actually fallen in love with him.”

Nico's face was very blank when Jason looked at him again. “I can relate.” Of course Nico could, he had Luke. “But I must be missing the stupid part?”

“Ah.” Jason rubbed the back of his neck with a nervous laugh. “It's nothing, don't worry about it. I guess you could just call him my dream guy.” Well, it was the truth. “But, yeah, I can't seem to keep a relationship because I can't stop thinking about this guy.”

The pale boy shrugged. “Sorry for bringing you here, I just usually come here when I'm trying to clear my head.” Crossing his arms, Nico turned back to Jason. “A lot more quiet than my house.”

Did Nico's father fight with his stepmother? Or perhaps with one of the kids? What if the stepmother didn't like the kids? “I'm sorry,” Jason whispered.

Nico shook his head, slowly moving back towards Luke's house. “It's okay. We don't have to go in there. I'm sure most people would be freaked out to go into our old family cemetery.”

Jason reached out and grabbed Nico's arm, and nearly ripped his arm back. Nico was warm, like a normal person. Jason blinked at the smaller boy, who looked very confused. It was just that... the last time Jason had touched Nico, he had been as cold as ice. And Nico wasn't even in one of his jackets tonight. 

The blond boy snapped out of his confused state and smiled down at Nico. “Then it's a good thing I'm not most people.”

In the moonlight, Jason could make out Nico's brown orbs searching his blue ones. How was it that Nico was warm tonight, without a jacket and outside, than he was the other day with one? It shouldn't have bothered Jason at all, because Nico wasn't extremely warm, like he had a fever, but it did. When he looked closer, Jason noted that the dark circles under Nico's eyes looked a little less prominent as well, but that could have just been the moonlight.

He quickly cleared his throat, releasing Nico's arm. “I mean, unless you don't want me going in there.” It was a little late for that, but Nico did not need to know that. “It's your call. We can just keep walking up and down the road until you're ready to go back for all I care.”

Nico's dark eyes pierced through him like daggers in the moonlight. The boy was silent for a long time, which began to make Jason nervous. Eventually, Nico let out a sigh and ran his hand through his messy hair. “It's fine. Not anything that great about the place that you'd probably be interested in.”

Jason followed the shorter boy up the stone steps until they reached the iron gate. Placing one hand on it, Nico pushed it open. It creaked so loudly as it opened that the hair on Jason's arm stood up. Nico motioned inside and Jason walked forward. After they were in, Nico closed the gate behind them.

Sliding his hands into his pockets, Nico took off walking through the old graves. With a quick glance in the mausoleum’s direction, Jason followed after the pale boy. It seemed much quieter now, save for the crickets and owls. And without any trees hanging over them, Jason was able to make out Nico's appearance much more easily.

The brown-eyed boy came to a stop in front of a stone angel. At the very bottom was a name carved into the stone. Maria di Angelo.

Jason swallowed the lump in his throat, placing his hands in his back pockets. “I'm sorry,” he whispered. Nico looked up at him with furrowed eyebrows. “I mean I was sorry to hear about your mother. That was...” He let out a breath. “This town is very fucked up.”

“You have no idea,” Nico mumbled, turning his gaze back upon his mother's grave.

Glancing around, Jason came to a realization. If he was correct, they were standing in the same spot that the creepy man he had met was standing after Jason had went to leave. “Um, Nico?” The boy turned to face him again. “Is your father rather young looking, with dark hair and a pale complexion? And maybe some scary eyes.”

Nico's lips formed a thin line. He knelt down, placing a hand on the grave. “He already told me he met you here. I was thinking about asking what you were doing out here, but then I figured I'd just let it go.”

Jason's cheeks tinged pink. “But back there-” He flailed his arms, pointing back to the road. Nico arched a brow at him. “You- I- but you made it sound like you thought I hadn't been inside here before.”

Nico grinned at him, standing back to his feet. “Maybe I'm a liar.” He took a step forward, a twisted look in his eyes. “Maybe I lied about all of that stuff, and maybe I just wanted to get you out here so that I could rip out your heart and drink your blood.”

Jason yelped as he fell backwards over a grave. Nico started laughing, shaking his head lightly. The blue-eyed boy pouted. That was not very nice, Nico was almost believable. When Nico finally calmed down and he stared down at Jason, a smirk appeared on his lips. There was a dark spark in the boy's eyes, flashing dangerously at Jason.

“That's not funny,” Jason mumbled.

Nico shrugged. “I thought it was funny. Don't you trust me?” He laced his hands behind his head, shifting his weight.

Jason's eyes flickered down to some exposed skin that had emerged when Nico's shirt lifted from the movement. He had seen the boy shirtless before, but there was something about the color of the boy's skin in the moonlight that made it all the more enticing for Jason.

Nico was not available, Jason reminded himself.

Letting out a sigh, Jason looked away. Not only that, but Nico did not seem all that interested in him. Not that Nico seemed to let a relationship get in the way of things, Jason thought bitterly. Should he mention what he saw?

Jason's eyes traveled up from the ground, landing on the tombstone he had tripped over. Blinking a few times, his brow furrowed. It read: Tartarus di Angelo. Another relative of Nico's? Perhaps Hazel's father?

The grass shifted beside Jason, and when he looked, he found Nico sitting next to him with his legs pulled up to his chest. The blue-eyed boy turned his attention back to the onyx headstone that sat in front of them. “Hazel's father?”

The brown-eyed boy lightly shook his head. “Just an ancestor. Never got to meet him myself.” He shrugged, his eyes dully staring at the name. “Nothing really important.”

He was not sure why, but the grave seemed to stand out to him. Jason kept staring at the name, though nothing came to him. It almost felt important to him. But he knew that he had never seen the name before, or even heard it. And when it clicked in his mind that they were sitting on the guy's buried corpse, Jason quickly jumped up.

Nico stared up at him with an amused look. “Scared of the dead?” He grinned and got to his feet, slipping his pale hands into his pockets. “Afraid that my ancestor is going to rise from his grave for sitting on him?”

“It's not funny,” Jason mumbled.

“It is a little bit.” Nico smiled and took off walking.

In the darkness, Jason's blue eyes observed the shorter boy as he paced around the small cemetery, glancing at a few tombstones that he passed. Jason wondered what went on inside that head of Nico's. The kid was quiet, but he had a lot of interesting things to say when he opened up. And here in the graveyard, Jason wondered if he had a twisted side to him. Something about the glint in Nico's eyes had caught Jason off-guard.

When Nico came to a stop in front of the mausoleum, Jason made his way over to the brown-eyed boy. His blue eyes examined the weird figures on the stone that blocked the entrance. “What's this?” He decided to ask.

Nico let out a short breath. “Just an old family crypt.”

“For who?”

The boy shrugged. “All of the families used it. I guess they thought it was a good idea to seal it off when civilization found its way down here.” Nico slowly rubbed his palms together before turning to Jason. “I think I'm ready to head home now.”

The walk back was quiet, Nico keeping his head down for most of the walk and kicking at rocks that they passed. How the boy found them in the dark, Jason would never know. He could barely make out the hand in front of his face, let alone a tiny rock on the paved gravel road that they were walking on.

When they got back to Luke's house, the two stopped in front of the driveway. Jason was not really sure what to say. Nico's eyes roamed the woods around them, almost like he were distracted by something. A faint chill ran over Jason's arms, giving him goosebumps.

Nico licked his lips and finally focused on Jason's face. “Um, so, we are all throwing a birthday party for Percy on the eighteenth. I'm sure the others wouldn't mind if you came, if you wanted to.”

It made Jason smile to hear that. Because it sure sounded like Nico wanted him there. “I'd be happy to come.”

“Be thankful that your birthday was before you moved, or someone might have arranged for a giant party of your own.” At the odd look Jason gave Nico, the boy chuckled. “Sorry, Hermes saw your birthday when he picked you up from prison.” He nudged Jason with his elbow. “But I'm sure you'll have fun. Demeter will probably bake a cake. Just try not to eat too much, or you might get fat. Wouldn't want that body of yours to get ruined. Probably all you have going for you.”

“So hurtful,” Jason smiled. “Have you been checking me out?”

It sure looked like a blush had crept onto Nico's cheeks, though Jason was sure the boy would deny it. “Anyways... we will also probably go swimming at Piper's house, so bring some swimming trunks.”

It did not escape Jason's notice that Nico did not answer his question. Which only made the blond smile more. But then it kind of hit him in the face that Nico was off limits, again. He let out a sigh and looked at the boy again.

Jason suddenly felt like their proximity was too close. The boy's pale lips in the moonlight were starting to become enticing. He felt bad, he really did, but something about those dark eyes and the way Nico looked in the night was almost sinful. And almost... familiar.

It was not until Nico pulled back and cleared his throat that Jason found himself reaching out to fix a strand of the boy's hair. Nico lightly bit down on his lip, drawing the attention of Jason's eyes. “Thanks again for walking around with me,” Nico said with another clear of his throat. He shifted his weight, wrapping a hand around his other arm, and looked up at Jason again. “I'll see you at school,” he whispered.

Nico gave a light smile as he held out his hand for Jason to shake. Not about to miss this opportunity, Jason took the hand with a warm smile. Jason ended up shocking Nico and the boy pulled his hand away, shaking it. The blond chuckled. “Sorry.”

Well this was different. Usually people Jason liked were great and Jason just couldn't stay invested, but with Nico it was like the universe was simply out to get him. How unlucky could he be to shock the guy that finally made an effort to make physical contact with him?

Jason let out a long breath as Nico walked off, disappearing into the darkness. This was beginning to become a problem. Nico was beginning to become a problem. He did not want to cause problems with Luke, not after the blond had become such a good friend over the past few weeks. But there was definitely something there between him and Nico, even if the other boy did not want to admit it.

But he knew nothing would ever come of that. Nico was with Luke, and Jason would never stand a chance. He could not compete with someone that Nico had known his entire life.

Running a hand through his hair, Jason slipped inside the gate. However, he came to a stop once he had closed it behind him. He froze. Jason thought he saw something in the corner of his eye. When he turned around, his heart nearly exploded. Nothing was there but the long shadow of a tree branch hanging above him. Still, he once again had the feeling that he was being watched. And, in the darkness, it only put Jason more on edge as he walked back to his car.

Once he had his key in the door, Jason looked around Luke's yard. He kept thinking he saw something just out of the corner of his eyes. But when he looked, Jason found nothing. With another quick look around, Jason opened his door and cranked the car.

The teenage boy slowly drove down the driveway, half expecting something to jump out of the woods. If it were the Stolls, Jason would not have been surprised. When his car reached the gate, he sat there for a moment. He was going to have to get out. If horror movies had taught him anything, it was that something bad always happened when the person had to get out of their car.

Letting out a short breath, Jason worked up the courage to open his door. Wanting to quickly get back inside after closing the gate, Jason left his door open. Quickly pushing the gate open, Jason jogged back to his car. He glanced down to shift gears, and when he looked up, Jason nearly screamed.

There was Nico, standing in the middle of the road. His head was down, casting shadows over his eyes. Jason wiped a hand down his face, falling back against his seat. He slowly pulled his car into the road before shifting it back into park.

Jason rolled down his window, raising an eyebrow at Nico. “Did you forget something?” Perhaps it was best not to tell Nico that he nearly pissed himself upon seeing him.

A frown marred the boy's face as he looked up. His eyes were so dark that it was hard to distinguish them from behind his black bangs. It was like staring into the abyss. “Thought I heard something, thought I'd come back and check.”

Jason looked around the dark woods. “Didn't hear anything. Maybe it was me cranking my car?”

It really unnerved Jason that he could not see the boy's eyes. It was impossible to tell if Nico were looking at him or roaming the woods. “I knew you were going to crank your car, idiot,” Nico said darkly. A long pause passed by, where Nico simply stood there. Nico finally moved, tossing his thumb down the road. “You should go, it's getting late.”

Jason did not argue. He nodded and rolled his window back up before driving away. Perhaps he had not been imagining things, perhaps there had been something in the woods. If Nico had come back because of it, surely there must have been something. He glanced in his rearview mirror, only to find Nico gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I remember now why I always loved writing Hermes in this story. The way I made him talk was always so refreshing to me. A refined southern gentleman. So I decided to go ahead and put this chapter out, because I'm in the middle of working on something else and these chapters don't take that long to rework. So, as some of you may remember, I did mention something about a Romeo & Juliet Jasico modern day AU a while back. Well expect it in the relative near future. I've only gotten one chapter written, so I'll post it when I have three. And it shouldn't be more than ten chapters. And sometime while I'm posting that fic, I have something else to announce, but I won't talk about it right now. So stay tuned.
> 
> Also, I do implore new readers to not read the old version. There are a lot of things that will be coming in the next nine chapters, and I just feel it should be a surprise to all of you, just like it was a surprise to everyone who originally read the old version. Plus, I added a rather big new story arc that will be starting in maybe five chapters. I actually have been thinking about taking the old version down to prevent people from reading ahead, but I really didn't want to do that out of respect to people who preferred the old version.


	7. The Grim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I get this out before Carlee posted "When You Least Expect It"? Good. Mwhaha. How does three chapters taste, Carlee? No but seriously, if you follow all of us, you guys should get like three story updates today. Painteddread, Carlee, and myself. Those two are late with my birthday presents, which was yesterday. For shame. And I decided to go ahead and post this chapter for artemis-red (HimekoUchia), because her birthday is the day after mine. So birthday presents all around.

It was a small gathering in front of the stairs. Everyone present carried a glass of red wine, lifting it towards the boy that stood at the foot of the stairs. The same boy that looked like Nico. He smiled so confidently at the crowd as they clapped for him. His clothes were fairly different, though he still looked the same, just with slightly shorter hair that now came to just above his shoulders.

The brown-eyed boy held his head high, shoulders back, as he smirked and raised his own glass. The woman with the timeless face came to stand in front of him, blocking the line of view for a brief moment. As the woman stepped back, the brown-eyed boy slipped something underneath his shirt.

The boy's mother stepped forward to hug him, though she seemed a little sad. She whispered something into his ear before stepping back. One thing was for sure, the girl from the hanging was nowhere to be seen. However, Kronos was present.

Kronos leaned against a wall, his eyes locked onto the boy the celebration seemed to be for. The brown-eyed boy caught Kronos's eye and nodded with a smirk. There was something different now about those eyes, something dark seemed to reside there. Kronos simply nodded back, though he did not seem so cheerful.

As the party drifted on, the group moved into the dining hall, where food was being served. As the brown-eyed picked out his food, his eyes roamed over to where Kronos was talking to a girl around his age. The boy narrowed his eyes.

She was so beautiful, with golden blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes. The boy's lips tilted down as he watched them. Setting his food aside, the boy grabbed his glass of wine and made his way over to them.

“Enjoying your party?” Kronos greeted him.

“It is quite the event,” the boy that looked like Nico replied. His eyes flashed over to the girl with a look of distaste. As his eyes finished their glance over, his lips turned down.

As the girl raised the glass to her lips, it slipped from her hand and shattered onto the floor. “Oh no, I'm so sorry,” she said quickly, crouching down to try and pick up the shards.

Kronos knelt down beside her and assisted her. “It's all right, Rhea, accidents happen.” His eyes flickered up in warning to the brown-eyed boy, who had a smirk on his lips. “May I have a word with you?”

The boy shrugged. “But of course.”

Once out of the hall and out of earshot, Kronos pushed the boy into a white pillar that stood several feet from the door. “What is wrong with you?” He tilted the boy's chin up. “I'm starting to worry about you, ever since-”

The boy's eyes flashed dangerously and smacked Kronos's hand away. “You swore we would not discuss that out in the open,” he hissed. “I rule now and we agreed that it would be for the better.”

Kronos let out a sigh. “Is this about what I told you the other night?”

Those dark brown eyes became dull as they stared back at Kronos. The boy crossed his arms. “I don't care what you do, run off and do as you please,” he motioned to the dining hall, “as you already are.”

“I will be fine,” Kronos assured the other boy. His eyes shined like true gold as he put on a smile. “I will be back before you know it, unharmed.”

“It doesn't involve us,” the boy mumbled.

“It does,” Kronos replied. He let out a sigh and crossed his arms. “We've been the best of friends, let's not fight on your day. Your secret will always be safe with me.” Licking his lips, Kronos reached into his shirt pocket. Whatever he pulled out, he handed it to the other boy, who clasped his hand around it. “Take it.”

“Kronos,” the boy whispered. He stared down at whatever it was like it was something that made him sad. The boy seemed uneasy about holding it, even biting down on his lip. He looked up to meet the other's eyes. “Are you sure you want to give me this?”

“More sure than I've ever been.”

The boy's face seemed entirely different now, like it had during Jason's last dream. It was soft and the hint of a smile began to appear on the corner of his lips. “But you only get one.”

Kronos gave a nod. “And I want you to have it. You and I have been through so much now, it just seems fitting.” He pulled the boy in for a hug. The smile melted away from the brown-eyed boy's lips, his eyes growing sad and distant. “Just think about it while I'm gone. And make sure to keep it safe. Like you said, I only get one.”

When the boy pulled back, he stared down at his hand. As his fingers opened, a small vial of silver liquid could be found there. Those dark brown eyes flickered up to stare at Kronos from behind black bangs. A small nod was the only reply that Kronos received.

Jason's eyes snapped open to stare up at the white ceiling above him. He did not move, merely laying there to think for a second. It was the first dream he had in a week, though it was definitely longer than his previous ones.

The week had gone by and it was Sunday now, Percy's birthday. The boy sighed and tossed his legs over the side of his bed. Running a hand through his blond locks, he sat there in his boxers with a strange feeling coursing through his body. These dreams left him still feeling tired, like he was not actually sleeping when they happened.

He just did not understand why he kept having them, and why they centered around the same people. Dreams were supposed to be random, or so he thought. In all honesty, Jason found himself wishing that he could just go back to having no dreams at all, rather than continuing with this series of dreams.

Getting up, Jason stretched and put on his pajama pants. Today would hopefully take his mind off things. He was expected to be over at Luke's house in two hours, and was only told to bring a pair of trunks to swim in and the present he bought Percy. Technically, most of the kids had said he didn't have to buy Percy anything, but Jason felt it wouldn't be right after being invited to the party. And Luke had also promised him that he would meet the rest of the kids. It had to make Jason wonder how big these families were.

Jason let out a long breath and opened the front door to get the newspaper for Ms. Mellie. It was so stuffy and humid today, even with the air conditioner running. Shutting the door with a grumpy frown, Jason dropped the newspaper onto the couch and headed to the bathroom.

After only a few seconds under the hot water, Jason was forced to make the shower mildly cold. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back once he found a decent temperature. How could it be so humid that he would rather have a slightly cold shower?

Since he was not having to worry about the water getting cold, Jason took his time. It depressed him to think that showering would be the closest thing he would get to the water, unless he got to continue going over to swim with Luke and the others, either at one of the pools or at the river.

After he was finished, Jason wrapped a towel around his waist and went back to his room, where he picked up his phone from the nightstand beside his bed. There was a missed call from his aunt. He made a face as he wiped a hand across his chest. It was already covered in sweat from the heat filtering in from the stuffy environment. Groaning to himself, he went to the hall and fiddled with the air conditioner to make it colder.

Opening his phone, he tapped his aunt's name and put the phone to his ear. As it rang, Jason shut his bedroom door, just in case Ms. Mellie decided to walk by. It had barely rang twice before his aunt picked up.

“Hello? Jason? Were you still sleeping when I called? Get out of bed, lazy boy,” came his aunt's unforgettable voice, stern tone and all. There were times Jason wondered if she could make a drill instructor cry.

Jason plopped down on his bed. “No, Aunt Lupa, I was getting a shower. One of those friends that I told you about is having a birthday party today, and I was invited.”

Judging by the sounds of water that he could hear, Jason was going to assume his aunt was in her garden to water her plants. “Yes, I'm happy to hear that. I'm glad you're making friends down there, Jason. I know you think I'm being hard on you, but this is for the best.”

“It's not the worst I've been through,” Jason mumbled under his breath.

“What was that?” His aunt snapped, the sound of water stopping.

Jason's eyes widened and he sat up straight. “Nothing! I was just saying what a good job you did at raising me for the past few years.”

Without even seeing her, Jason knew his aunt was narrowing her eyes at the phone. “You better be doing your homework.” An idle threat, Jason knew this by now. If she really wanted to scare him, she could come up with much worse. “I just wanted to call and see how you were doing.”

She could know in person, if she hadn't sent him away. Jason cringed instantly. His aunt seriously scared him sometimes with things. There were times that he had to wonder if she could read his mind. There was even one time that he and Lee almost managed to go farther than kissing, and the second Lee put his hand in Jason's pants, Jason's phone rang. And that was just one of many occasions. She never hinted at knowing what he was trying to do when she called, but that woman had some scary good timing.

Jason had long since wondered if he would have to wait to lose his virginity after his aunt died. If she died. The woman was as stubborn as they came.

“I'm okay, nothing to report. Still no family to be found,” Jason finally answered. The boy fell back on the bed and covered his eyes with his arm. “I don't suppose you'd consider letting me return early, would you?”

His aunt's signature laugh came echoing through the phone. Well, he already knew the response he was going to get. “Oh, Jason, you are so funny. No, I think you're going to want to stay there, you know, once you find that family you're looking for.”

Jason rolled his eyes. Doubtful.

“Don't roll your eyes at me, boy,” the woman snapped.

Jason cringed. “Sor-” Jason stopped and uncovered his eyes. Furrowing his brow, the blond pushed himself up to look around his room. Out of nowhere, a strange feeling had come over him.

The sound of one of the kitchen cabinets closing drew his attention. He hadn't heard Ms. Mellie leave her room. Reaching beside his bed, Jason picked up the baseball bat that he kept there.

“I'll talk to you later, Aunt Lupa,” Jason said before hanging up.

Slipping on a shirt and boxer-briefs, Jason crept out in the hall. Once he felt close enough, Jason jumped into the living room, bat poised behind his head.

Nothing.

His blue eyes scoured the area, but found absolutely nothing. His mind kept racing with the question: did someone break in? He didn't think there was a window open and the door was locked as well. Still, it didn't hurt to be too careful. And so the search began.

After nearly an hour of turning over every inch of the house, save for Ms. Mellie's room, Jason gave up. It was very unlikely that anyone was there, and there was no possible way for anyone to have gotten out during his search. Even when he had went to put shorts on, Jason had kept an eye and an ear out for any movement in the house, and yet there was no trace that anyone had even been inside.

Giving up on his quest, Jason checked the clock. It was nearing ten, which meant he needed to hurry and head over to Luke's house. Sending off a quick text to Luke, Jason left his apartment and headed down the stairs to his car.

The second he closed the car door, a crow landed on his car, spread its wings, and let out a caw. Since no one was around to see him, Jason would go to his grave swearing that he did not jump. The fact that his heart was now racing was merely a coincidence. Narrowing his eyes at the bird, Jason honked his horn. However, it did nothing to deter the bird, which hopped along the hood of his blue car and continued its crowing.

The weird thing was that Jason could have sworn that it was looking at him. It turned its head and stared at him with those beady black eyes before leaning down to peck at an acorn that had landed on Jason's hood.

Losing his patience, Jason cranked the car. If the bird wanted to stay, it could enjoy the ride. But, as soon as Jason shifted into reverse, the bird took off. The blond frowned and watched it fly onto a nearby tree branch, where it continued to caw and torment him from afar. Whatever, he thought as he backed out of the tiny driveway.

The house still looked like it had the other day when Jason arrived at Luke's house. The blond was standing there on the porch when Jason pulled up, tossing a small wave. Luke jogged down the marble steps as Jason got out of his car.

“Glad you could make it!” Luke greeted him. “The party is already set up, so you won't be forced to do any manual labor.”

“But where is everyone?”

“Ah,” Luke chuckled. “So, the party was moved to Percy's house.” He motioned for Jason to follow him towards the woods, where three people could be seen waiting. “Poseidon, Percy's father, was having some work done on their house and pool over the summer, so we weren't sure if it would be ready by then. However, Poseidon had us out here all week to finish everything up. Percy's birthday present from his parents is the infinity pool they installed to replace their old one.”

“Damn.” It was still taking some getting used to. Cecil had been his richest friend back home, but these kids made even the brunet seem poor in comparison. “So, what were they doing to the house?”

Luke gave a casual shrug, tossing a wave to his brothers and Nico, who were waiting for them. “Just some renovations. We try to check on the houses every few years and see if anything might need fixing, or maybe our parents feel some improvements should be made. These houses were once the houses our ancestors built when they settled down here.” The other blond smiled when Jason's eyebrows raised a little. “I know, they look so new. Honestly, there's not much left of the original designs these days.”

“Morning, Jason,” Connor greeted as the two reached the woods.

Jason placed a hand on Luke's chest before they could walk into the trees. “Percy won't be sour with me if I didn't get him a super awesome present, right?”

Travis let out a chuckle. “Don't worry so much, Jay.”

“Travis is right,” Luke agreed. “It's not like we want for much, as bad as that sounds. Christmas isn't much better. We usually just flat out ask each other if there's anything we might want a few weeks before and then do some online shopping.” He smirked at the shocked look on Jason's face. “We're not really big on Christmas.”

“Not by the standard anyways,” Nico sighed. He gave a small smile when Jason waved at him, which totally did not cause butterflies to flutter in the blond's stomach.

Nico had been very docile towards Jason this past week at school. Perhaps their little bonding adventure had been more productive than Jason had originally thought, but he wasn't going to complain. Nico had even sat next to him at lunch the other day.

Luke peeled back a tree branch and motioned towards an old trail that ran through the woods. “Percy's house is two down.”

Jason grinned down at the pale boy. “Do I get to see your house?”

“Unlikely, as it's across the road,” Nico replied as he stepped into the trees.

Luke chuckled. “Sorry to burst your bubble. It's not much to see. There really aren't as many tombstones in the front yard as you might expect anyways.” The blond got an elbow in the stomach for that. “I'm kidding!” He nodded into the trees. “Come on, Percy will be wanting to open his presents.”

The woods were rather thick, but a trail had been cut out for them to follow. There were some leaves and a few thorny vines that were on it, but all the trees had been cleared away about two or three body lengths wide. There were a very large assortment of trees, but most of them were those that grew dense leaves. It was so perfect for them probably, because it kept people from seeing their land unless they were brave enough to enter.

Luke glanced at Jason. “So, Jay, has anyone caught your eye around here yet?” Luke asked, bumping shoulders with the blue-eyed boy.

“Uh,” Jason chuckled nervously, scratching his cheek. He did not feel like it would be appropriate if he told Luke his boyfriend was attractive, so Jason needed to lie. “Not really.”

He wanted to say that it was not a total lie, but that would be yet another lie. Glancing back at the very brown-eyed boy that he had been thinking about, Jason frowned. He still was not sure what it was about Nico that drew his attention. Jason was still just trying to convince himself that it was purely physical and that there was no real interest there. Perhaps it was just those dreams he had been having. The boy did look like Nico, so perhaps it was just Jason's subconscious tricking him. Because, if he had to be honest, Nico was not Jason's usual type. And he doubted he was Nico's either.

What even was his type? A ghost boy that Jason had no real clue what he even looked like. And he wasn't even real!

Jason glanced at Luke from the corner of his eyes. Although, Luke was attractive himself, and in good shape. Perhaps Nico did go for the athletic types.

“That's a shame,” Luke sighed. Jason stiffened a little, realizing that he had drifted off into his own thoughts. “I'm sure you could find someone. I mean, all the girls at school seem to be interested.” Luke cleared his throat. “Someone smart would scoop you up before it was too late.”

Luke suddenly let out a yelp and fell to the ground, his face landing on the dirt trail that they walked on. Jason blinked and stared down at Luke's foot. A twisted vine stuck up from the ground and Luke must have tripped over it. Nico, who had been walking behind the two blonds, casually stepped over Luke. “Better watch where you're going,” the brown-eyed boy mumbled as he kept walking.

The twins chuckled and offered Luke their hands. “He is cranky today,” Travis pointed out.

The two stuck their tongues out when Luke narrowed his eyes and jogged to catch up to the moody brown-eyed boy. Luke dusted himself off as they kept going. “I'm going to have to spray myself off before they let me in the pool now.”

Nico glanced back at them and Jason blushed a little. “At least it wasn't mud,” Jason pointed out.”

“So not interested in anyone? That's a shame. I bet you're one of those modest types, too. Probably don't even think of yourself as that attractive.” Luke suddenly threw an arm around him. “He's attractive, right?”

Connor turned around and began to walk backwards. “Yeah, he's okay. Not ugly enough to go ringing bell towers just yet,” the brunet teased.

“What do you think, Nico?” Luke asked, smiling from ear to ear.

Nico turned to shoot Luke a dark glare. “We're not playing 'ask the openly gay boy if he thinks a guy is attractive' game.”

Luke and Jason managed to catch up to the other three, where Luke took the opportunity to throw his arms around Nico. “Don't be so grumpy. If you're good, I'll let you snuggle with me tonight.”

A twisted smile crept its way across Nico's face. “Perfect, it'll give me the chance to cut off your penis.”

“Besides,” Luke continued, ignoring Nico's comment, “I'm bi and so is Jason. I don't feel like your comment has any validation here.”

“I hate you sometimes,” the shorter boy mumbled.

As they exited the woods, Jason got an eyeful of Percy's house. It was very large, even bigger than Luke's There was a lot of... blue with the decorations in the yard. Most of the flowers were blue, and so were the umbrellas that were around the pool. There was a stream that ran through the yard, winding around the house. The front had a large cascading fountain in the middle of the driveway. The backyard had a smaller fountain for birds to bathe in, which sat next to a large gazebo with a swing, several rocking chairs, and a bench.

Of course there was the pool, which came back quite a ways from the house. A few lounge chairs were down on a stone walkway where the pool drained off. There was a lot of different varieties of chairs to lay and sit in by the pool. There was also a Jacuzzi at the edge of the far end of the pool. Some rocks had been built at the edge of the pool, letting a waterfall fall into the giant pool.

A portion of the house with a sliding door sort of hung over the very edge of the pool. There were blue curtains to keep people from seeing in, but the door was soon opened to reveal Percy in only a pair of light blue swimming trunks. Jason felt very confident he knew what Percy's favorite color was.

And, well, Jason definitely had to hand it to Percy on having a nice body. He was kind of turned on, maybe a little bit, if he were being honest. “Damn,” he accidentally let slip out.

“Don't let Percy catch you saying that,” Luke chuckled as they placed their things down at a nearby table. “His ego is already big enough.”

“That's not all that's big about me,” Percy grinned as he jumped from his room and landed on the marble deck. Must make for easy access for getting back to his room, Jason thought. “If you know what I mean.”

“I have seen you naked, so yes,” Luke rolled his eyes. “Most of us have seen you naked. You have no shame in running around naked.”

Percy just stood there in some superhero pose. “Didn't hear complaining from you. Besides, we did have that experimenting time together when we were younger and curious.” Luke rolled his eyes. “I even caught Nico trying to see me naked when we were a little younger.”

Nico's face was bright red when Jason looked at him. “Please stop talking about these things in front of our guest.”

Luke chuckled. “Where's your parents, Perce?”

Percy gave a nod towards the house. “Dad was collecting all my presents, and Mom was helping Demeter with some last minute cooking.”

A young woman with untidy hair tied back in a ponytail came out, dusting her hands off on her pants. “Everything is ready!” She grabbed the back of Percy's head and pulled him down to kiss the side of his head. “Get inside so everyone can sing to you.”

“Mom!” Percy whined.

The woman blinked as Jason walked by. “Oh, you must be the new boy I've heard so much about.”

Grinning, Percy slung an arm around Jason. “This is our new friend Jason. Jason, this is my mother.”

She smiled and held out her hand, which had some blue icing still around her fingers. “Please, call me Sally. I'm so happy you could make it here today, and I'm glad Percy and the others have made a new friend.” She slowly worked on ushering them inside. “It's just so hard for any of them to make friends around here, and I know how hard that can be. Growing up in this town is not easy, and it doesn't get easier with age. The only difference is that we can choose to not socialize that much when we become adults.”

The man that Jason had seen at the courthouse the other day was piling up presents next to a very large blue cake. In fact, most of the presents had been wrapped in blue paper. Definitely Percy's favorite color. Demeter gave him a warm smile when she noticed Jason slide into the room. As Jason passed by the table, he slipped his present in with the others.

Most of the other kids had come inside by now and were gathered around the table. Sally grabbed Percy by the shoulders and ushered him towards the cake. There were a few in the room that Jason didn't really recognize, so he kind of hoped that Luke would do some introductions later. But, for the most part, Jason knew most of the people his age.

Sally made sure to grab her camera as Percy got ready to blow out the candles. Percy's father smiled and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. Grinning, Percy leaned in with a deep breath and blew out all of the candles.

“Happy Birthday!” Everyone cheered.

As Sally and Demeter worked on cutting the cake, Jason took a second to actually count how many people he needed to be introduced to, including Percy's father. There were seven in total that Jason was not familiar with.

Luke held up a glass and smiled at him. A sharp pain shot through Jason's head and he pinched the bridge of his nose, shutting his eyes. Clapping pounded in his head.

_“A toast, to the new Head of House.”_

More clapping and a flash of the boy that was not Nico smiling. Everything seemed to spin, yet no one was clapping. Everyone seemed to be talking among themselves, while Luke made his way towards Jason. He grabbed the blue-eyed boy and guided him over to a corner.

“You okay?” Luke asked, tilting his head to catch Jason's eye.

After a second, Jason nodded. “I'm fine,” he whispered.

Luke patted him on the back and guided them both forward. “So, I know there's a few people here you haven't met. So I thought I'd go ahead and get the introductions out of the way.” A grin broke out across the blond's face. “Aside from the adults, this is the last of us.”

“Thank god, I thought there was like an army of you,” Jason breathed in relief.

“Well, there is a good bit of us, but not as big as you might think. At least it doesn't seem that way to us.” He leaned in to whisper into Jason's ear. “Although, I wouldn't go asking Nico when his father is going to bang Persephone. I don't think he's accepted yet that the two have sex.”

“You must want to die today.”

Luke stiffened at the sound of Nico's voice from behind them. Jason and Luke turned around to find an annoyed Nico standing there with Annabeth and Reyna, who were both trying to hide their laughter. Nico's eyes flickered over to meet Jason's blue ones.

Reyna offered a slice of cake to Jason. “Have you introduced him to the rest of the group yet?”

“Not yet,” Luke replied.

Nico gave them a toothless smile and walked by with the two girls, patting Jason on the shoulder. Even through his shirt, Jason could feel how cold the boy's hand was. What was with Nico's body temperature. It was like he swapped every time they made contact. Before Jason could question it, though, Luke wrapped an arm around Jason's shoulders and guided him to some of the others.

Thalia was actually there, as was Apollo. The latter narrowed his eyes as Luke walked by with Jason. There was definitely something going on there, but this was also no time for Jason to question it. They ended up coming to a stop in front of Sally and her husband.

“Thanks for letting us invite our friend Jason to Percy's party today, Poseidon,” Luke greeted the man. “I thought you might want to meet the stranger in your house today.”

The man's sea-green eyes drifted over to Jason. He held his hand out as he looked the blond over, studying him in great detail. “It's nice to meet you, Jason. Percy tells me you're down here looking for your family.” His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, basically gazing into Jason's soul. “Had any luck yet?”

“Unfortunately not,” came Jason's reply. He realized at this point that Poseidon was still shaking his hand.

Sally squeezed her husband's shoulder. “I'm sure you'll find them eventually.”

The man at her side pointed the fork he was using to eat cake with at Jason. “Don't be a stranger, Jason. If you ever need help with anything while you are here, don't hesitate to ask.” His lips turned up into an awkward smile.

That was strange, Jason thought as Luke led them on to the next group.

Luke took him over to where Rachel, Mitchell, Annabeth, and Malcolm were standing next to a window with two girls. All of them stopped and smiled or waved. “Enjoying the party?” Mitchell chuckled.

Jason offered a small smile. “Well, Percy definitely has a giant pool, and a very large house.”

“A few years ago, his parents let him turn the right wing upstairs into an arcade, since Percy is an only child,” Annabeth said with a sigh. He really wanted to know what was the deal with her, Luke, Percy, and Nico. Because Nico and Luke seemed to be dating, but people at school said that Percy and Annabeth dated on and off. Yet, Jason had seen Nico and Percy kissing.

Luke motioned to the group. “Well, you already know these four. Well,” Luke motioned to the other two, “here we have Miranda and Katie.”

Katie held her hand out first. Her skin had a very healthy and natural glow to it, and her smile was incredibly bright. Though, one could also nearly miss the specks of dirt under the girl's nails. She had her black hair braided and thrown over her left shoulder.

“Nice to meet you,” she greeted him.

Miranda looked similar to Katie, just shorter. But that could have been because she was probably younger. She had the same dark hair and brown eyes. She wasn't as tan as the other girl, but her face was decorated in freckles.

“Hi,” the girl said meekly.

Jason smiled. “I was worried when Luke said there was even more of you. Sort of made me think I'd be overwhelmed by new people here,” he chuckled while rubbing the back of his neck.

“Katie and Miranda are sisters,” Malcolm supplied. Miranda is actually a freshman, which is why you probably haven't seen her around school with us. Different lunch schedules and all that. And Katie graduated two years ago. She helps Persephone and Silena around their little shop.”

“We grow herbs and flowers, as well as some other merchandise,” Katie smiled. “Luke should bring you to the shop.”

Rachel was busy stuffing her own mouth with cake. “So good,” she mumbled around a mouthful of it. Once swallowed, she raised her eyes to meet Jason's face. “Have you tried this yet?”

Jason had not. Luke had started leading him around before he could take a bite. Since they were still stationary, Jason cut a piece and shoved it in his mouth. No surprise at all that it tasted like heaven, but just as sinful as hell.

Luke pressed on Jason's back and began to guide him away from the group. “Sorry to steal the our new friend away so quickly, but I've still got to introduce him to the only girl that could probably win a fight against the entire football team.”

The group chuckled and tossed Jason a wave. While stuffing her mouth with another piece of cake, Rachel watched Jason get pulled away, her green eyes almost haunting. It unnerved Jason quite a bit the way she stared at him. Jason turned to Luke. “Should I be nervous to meet this girl?”

Luke chuckled. “Nah, she's harmless, so long as you don't cross the line.” The blond came to a stop behind the giant of a girl that Jason had spotted earlier. “Jason, meet Clarisse, our group's fairest of maidens.”

Frank and Hazel placed hands over their mouths to hide their smiles, while the girl's shoulders stiffened. “I know you're not talking about me, Castellan,” she growled. Turning around, she narrowed her animal-like eyes at them. “So this is the new kid?” She grunted and crossed her arms. “I expected more.”

Luke just grinned. “Clarisse is Frank's sister.”

“And older and the better fighter,” she added snidely.

Frank just rolled his eyes, while Hazel leaned up to whisper in his ear. Jason held out her hand to shake, though she never took it. The girl raised an eyebrow at the offered appendage before raising her own hand to take a sip of punch.

The last three were actually sitting together on a couch in front of a TV so big that it took up an entire wall, aside from the doorway they had to come in through to get to the living room. Two of them were actually twins. Which confused Jason, because he thought there was only one set of twins in the group. There was also a blond next to them, who reminded Jason of a lanky cat. Especially with his slouched posture and slightly droopy eyes.

“So, Jason, these are the other twins of our group, Castor and Pollux. They are freshman as well, so you probably won't see them around school much. Dionysus's only kids.” He grinned down at them. “You two seem to be hitting the juice pretty hard.”

The two smiled toothily up at the two blonds. They were both rather plump and had very young looking faces. Their hair was quite curly and a light blond color. They were also both short. The exact same height, and really not a difference in them that Jason could notice, unlike the Stolls, who had about an inch difference in their height.

“And this is Will,” Luke continued.

Surprisingly, the other blond came alive at the mention of his name. He shot up from the couch to smile and shake Jason's hand. Will actually looked like he had some muscle on him, and a nice tan. He kind of reminded Jason of a surfer with his body and shaggy hair.

“Unfortunately, I'm his cousin,” Will said with a grin, pointing behind Jason and Luke. Jason followed Will's finger to where Apollo was sitting. “I'm not really like Apollo, though. I don't write horrible poetry or anything. Probably will go to medical school, though.”

“Will's cool,” Luke said, clasping the shaggy blond's hand. “He doesn't live here, though. Not yet anyways.”

Will smiled. “Mom and Apollo have been talking. Since he's going to be gone for several years, save for a few weekends here and there, he offered to let us live in our family's house. Dad passed away when I was younger, but his grandfather was the brother of Apollo's grandfather.” He shrugged. “They tracked my mom down when Dad passed away of cancer a few years ago.”

“So you're moving?” Jason asked.

“Possibly.” Will shrugged again. “I... kind of want to.” His sky blue eyes flickered over to Luke. “You know, just this town kind of freaks me out.”

Luke patted him on the shoulder. “You'll be fine, I promise.”

Will gave a small nod and sat back down next to the twins. “Hope you enjoy the party, dude.”

After everyone had their fill of cake and snack food, Percy was taken before the table of presents. People were looking at the green-eyed boy with baited breath, waiting to see which present he chose first. Reaching out, he picked a present from the top of the pile. It was from Leo. It was clearly a magazine or a comic, judging by the shape and size of it.

A smirk slowly crept across Percy's lips before the youth was in a full blown state of laughter. He finished tearing off the paper and Poseidon chuckled, though Sally did not seem so amused. She quickly ripped the magazine from her son's hands. It was kind of easy to know what it was, since Jason caught sight of part of a breast.

Piper rolled her eyes. “Really, Leo, you got him porn?”

“What?” Leo shrugged innocently. “I figured he got lonely.”

Percy was still laughing, until Annabeth crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the ground. Slowly, Percy's laughter died away and he tried to look bashful. “Thank you for the thought, Leo, but I really can't accept such a thing.” However, the second Sally and Annabeth turned their backs to dispose of the present, Percy bumped fists with the Latino boy across the table. And Leo, of course, mouthed that he had another copy to give Percy later.

Leo grinned mischievously at the green-eyed boy before receiving a punch to the shoulder from Beckendorf. “Way to keep it classy,” the big guy grumbled.

“What?” Leo shouted while rubbing his arm.

There were definitely a lot of presents. Mostly one from each of the families, and then some from individuals in the group. But then Percy also got quite a few presents from his parents. From what Jason could tell, none of the presents were the cheap. Well, maybe save for Leo's gag gift and the beanie that Jason had bought him.

As soon as Percy was done, he declared that it was time for swimming. So everyone went to get changed. Luke took Jason to a guest room for them to change. Jason had changed in front of other guys before, but it felt a little different with a guy he had only known for a short time. Maybe the bond of playing a sport together helped Jason not care as much in a locker room. Or maybe it was just that he was more secure in himself than a lot of guys were.

There wasn't much to look at in the guest room, since nobody actually lived in it. He had gotten a little jealous, though, because Percy had let Nico change in his room. To be fair, Percy was already in his swimming trunks, so the two probably weren't even in the same room together. It did make Jason curious, though, as to why Luke and Nico didn't just change together.

Jason glanced over when he heard something metal being placed on a wooden surface. Luke had taken off his necklace, his shirt already on the floor. Jason's face heated up a little as Luke's underwear fell to the floor. Well, Jason had to give it to Luke for having a nice body. Perhaps Nico did go for the athletic type.

Quickly shaking his head, Jason finished taking off the rest of his clothes and slipped into his trunks. He made sure to pick up his towel before turning back around. Luke turned around and beamed at him. “Well, I suppose the baseball has done wonders for your body.”

Jason coughed as his face lit up in embarrassment. “Um, thanks.”

“I still have to wonder how people don't just swoop down on you.”

There was a heavy knock at the door, much to Jason's relief. Percy grinned at them when Luke opened the door. “Come, bitches, it's time for swimming.” He grinned and slid a pair of shades from the top of his head over his eyes.

When they got outside, Jason found two more adults outside. A man and a woman were lounging by the pool. The woman had a large sun hat and sunglasses, while the man looked quite large and intimidating. He sat behind the woman, applying sunscreen to her back.

“Gird your loins,” Luke quickly whispered to Jason. 

The woman tipped her glasses down to inspect the boys after they came out of the house. More specifically, she stared at Jason. It was sort of at this point that the blond wished he had his shirt on still. She smiled and got up, her heels clacking loudly on the marble.

She looked like something out of a magazine. Her long, blonde hair nearly reached her back as it bounced about from behind her. The sunglasses she wore reflected Jason's image, while her teeth nearly blinded the blond boy from how bright they were. Her skin matched that of Percy and Apollo's, perfectly kissed by the sun. Her nails and lips had both been painted a cherry red.

And then there was her attire, or what she wanted to pass for attire. The woman had on a bikini top and a pair of ripped blue jean shorts. And her heels probably gave her one or two inches to her height. Jason wondered how women could endure such footwear, it looked so painful.

She smiled and held out her hands, offering both of them some lemonade. “I was wonderin' when you boys were gonna show up,” the woman said. This woman spoke like the very definition of the word Southern Belle. The accent was absolutely perfect for being one.

Luke smiled and accepted the glass of lemonade. “Sorry. Oh, Jason, this is Silena's mother, Aphrodite.”

Even the way she shook his hand was the epitome of how a southern lady would act. Like some noble woman, she grasped Jason's fingers and shook them gently with the back of her hand pointed out towards Jason.

From there, she reached up to cup Jason's cheek and examine his face. The blue-eyed boy glanced at Luke uneasily when the woman tilted his face up to get a better look. “Well you didn't tell me he was so handsome, Luke.” Her attention returned to Jason's face. “Well you're just a doll, sugar.”

Thankfully, Percy was his savior. The raven haired boy gripped his shoulders and steered him towards the pool. “Sorry to steal him away, but I think he wants to do some swimming.”

Jason was able to breathe a sigh of relief once he was inside. “For some reason,” he began, “I was not expecting to be hit on by a cougar during my time here.”

“I wouldn't let my mom hear you call her a cougar,” Silena said, smiling up at them from where she sat in Beckendorf's lap. She chuckled, which was like honey to the ears. “Mother can be very vain when it comes to her looks. She might just have to go dipping into her special creams if she overheard that.”

Luke laughed at that. “I guess I should have warned him about your mother on the way over.”

Jason, however, was busy watching the man that was with Aphrodite. Even after she had sat back down, the man glared so hatefully at Jason. It got to a point where Jason had to fight off the urge to shiver. “Who is that?” He finally asked.

Luke subtly followed Jason's gaze. “That's Ares, Clarisse and Frank's father.”

“But it looks like-”

Percy clamped a hand over Jason's mouth with a grin. “Yeah, exactly.” He grinned down at Silena, who rolled her eyes. “Silena doesn't like Ares much.”

“Clarisse and Frank are cool,” the girl supplied.

“At least your mom never ended up marrying my dad,” Beckendorf mumbled. Silena smiled fondly and kissed his cheek.

“But isn't you mom married?” Jason asked.

Silena let out a sigh as she coated her arms in sunscreen. “Yes, she is. My mother is a polygamist.” She took in a deep breath. “I really wouldn't have a problem with it, but I can't quite tell if she actually cares about any of these men she ends up with. She didn't love Drew or Mitchell's fathers. She barely ever talks about mine. Tristan might be the first she actually cares for, but she refuses to break off this fling with Ares.”

“Tristan?”

“Piper's father,” Percy answered.

It was a slow process, but Jason slowly realized he was being stared at while he was swimming. He started to notice it about ten minutes after getting into the pool. Every now and then, Drew would just give him this look of lust from where she was tanning. It didn't really stop there, though. Aphrodite also made a habit of watching him. And it slowly turned into this thing, where everyone in Aphrodite's house was staring at him. In fact, the only one not doing it was Silena. Even Piper and Mitchell were staring at his body.

Honestly, it made Jason reluctant to get out of the pool, even to dive back in. And it wasn't like it was completely just him. Some of them occasionally stared at guys like Luke or Percy as well. It was definitely mostly Jason. Probably because he was new.

At least Nico had decided to swim this time. So, it was kind of a welcomed distraction for Jason. “I see you have an audience,” the pale boy smirked.

“Don't remind me.” Jason frowned, doing his best not to look at anyone in Aphrodite's family. “I think I'd actually prefer to swim fully clothed.”

“Aw! Are you shy?” Nico teased him. He stuck his tongue out when Jason narrowed his eyes. “Maybe you should eat more cake and destroy that body of yours.”

Time always seemed to pass by fast when swimming was involved, and this time was no exception. Thankfully, it was still early and the day and no one had to be anywhere. However, as it neared the hour mark, Jason needed to slap himself.

His problem was that his eyes kept wandering. And to where exactly? To Nico, of course. No matter if the boy was swimming or sitting on the edge of the pool, Jason found himself wanting to stare at the boy. He was very cute when wet, not that Jason would ever admit that out loud. And it was not like it meant anything to make a casual observation. Of course not, that was perfectly natural. But the way the water dripped off of Nico's pale, smooth skin was very distracting. And, while he was scrawny, Nico did have a nice figure, Jason would not lie. Long legs, thin waist, dimples on his back, and lips that practically begged to be kissed-

Wait, what? No. Jason did not need to think like that. With a groan, Jason sank beneath the water once again. The fact that Nico looked really good with wet hair also did not help matters.

Needing air, Jason swam to the surface. From there, he moved over to the edge of the pool and pulled himself up. He padded over to where he put his towel, dripping as he went. And fully aware of several eyes on him as he did so.

Once again, Jason's blue eyes roamed over to where Nico was sitting in between Luke's legs on a lounge chair. The blond was being very enthusiastic as he spoke, going as far as to use his hands. Nico rolled his eyes at whatever they were talking about, mumbling something to the blond and shaking his head. Luke sighed and pouted before pulling Nico more onto the chair and massaging the boy's shoulders. Grinning so that the boy between his legs could not see, Luke leaned in to whisper in Nico's ear. Without warning, Nico's eyes darted up to Jason.

Jason let the towel fall over his head, blocking Nico from his line of sight. Had he known Jason was staring, or perhaps they were talking about him? But why would they talk about him? Jason pulled the towel back, so that it simply rested on top of his head. Nico still had his eyes on him, chewing on his lip. He turned his head and whispered something to the blond, something that Luke seemed disappointed by.

Someone cleared their throat behind Jason and the blond turned around to find Drew standing there with a sweet smile on her face. “Looks like someone works out, hon,” she said, appraising Jason's body.

“Uh...” Never so badly did Jason actually want to cover himself, and he wasn't even naked. “Thank you?”

Giggling, Drew leaned in and walked her fingers up Jason's chest. “I don't suppose you could use those big muscles to apply some sunscreen to my... sensitive skin.”

As he opened his mouth, Jason accidentally sneezed in Drew's face. It wasn't his fault! As she had been talking, Jason had caught scent of nutmeg and pine, and very potent at that. The girl just stood there in shock that someone had actually sneezed on her. The Stolls could be heard in the background, probably dying from laughter.

“Sorry about that,” Jason said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

Without saying another word, Drew held up a hand to silence Jason before she walked off to where Piper and Mitchell were sitting. The girl sat down and furiously started rambling to her siblings. Piper just rolled her eyes at whatever it was, but Drew was adamant. All Jason could understand was, “It doesn't work!”

A few minutes later, Jason ended up getting his butt kicked by Percy at who could swim to the end of the pool the fastest. Percy made it all the way before Jason could even reach the halfway mark. Honestly, it was like the guy was part fish.

When they sat on the edge, Mitchell sat down on the other side of Jason and offered the blond a lemonade. “Where's mine?” Percy pouted.

“The pitcher is over there,” Mitchell sighed, smiling at Jason.

Percy just grumbled and got up. “But it's my birthday.”

Jason glanced over to Nico again, who was actually staring at him curiously. A finger was placed under the blond's chin and Jason was made to look at Mitchell again. “Enjoying your swim?” The brunet asked.

Smiling, Jason nodded. “Yeah.”

“You know, my family has a pool, too.” Mitchell smiled and scooted a little closer as Jason took a drink from his lemonade. “I could give you my number...” Something tickled Jason's nose again, like lavenders. “If you wanted it, I mean.”

“Um... maybe another time, yeah?”

Mitchell just blinked at him. “Holy shit,” the brunet whispered.

“What?” Jason asked, perplexed.

Smiling, Mitchell stood up. “Nothing. Don't worry about it.” He chuckled and put his sunshades on. “I hope you enjoy the rest of the party.”

Jason just blinked as the boy walked back over to Piper and Drew, sitting down and leaning in to whisper to them. Both girls nodded before the glanced back over at Jason, who just sat there in confusion. What was going on? Were they trying to see who Jason might be interested in?

Wasn't really any of them.

The blond's eyes slowly wandered back over to Nico, who now look amused as he got up and laid down on his stomach on the lounge chair next to Luke. Smiling, he waved over at Jason. He couldn't help it, Jason smiled back. He really liked seeing Nico smile.

“Hey there, Jason,” came Piper's soothing voice as she sat down next to him.

“Um, hi...” Jason's brow furrowed as he stared at the girl. He actually liked Piper for a friend, it was just strange to him that Piper and her siblings were all coming over to talk to Jason. If Silena actually tried, Jason might be worried.

“So, when is your birthday Jason?”

“Oh, it's at the beginning of July.” Maybe she wasn't going to try anything? That would be ever so nice.

Piper smiled and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “That's a shame, you could have ended up with a bunch of cool stuff.”

Jason shrugged. “It's cool. I wouldn't want all of you to spend money on someone you barely know.”

“Honestly, money isn't all that great.” Piper leaned back on her palms. “It's nice, but you don't really appreciate things like your birthday when you already get whatever you want.” She smiled warmly at the blond. “I usually prefer thrift store clothing to the more expensive shit.”

“I'm betting Drew has some expensive tastes,” Jason chuckled.

“You have no idea.”

Once again, Jason ended up sneezing. He was just happy that he was able to cover his mouth with his shoulder this time. “Sorry about that.” Jason rubbed his nose on his arm. It was like the smell of freshly cut grass suddenly hit his nose. His allergies must be acting up, or something. “I hope I'm not getting sick.”

“Er...” Piper tilted her head to the side. “I'm sure you're fine.” She let out a sigh when Jason looked down at the pool water. “I don't suppose you'd wanna watch a movie at my place tonight?”

He was honestly starting to feel bad for having to tell all these people no. It was just that he was pretty sure that they were all hitting on him, and Jason did not want to lead them on. Sure, they were all super attractive, but they weren't the one that Jason was interested in.

“I should probably catch up on some homework,” Jason said meekly. “Maybe some of us can all watch a movie together next time.” That was good, right? He was fine with hanging out with Piper, he just would rather it be with other people around.

Piper leaned in a little closer. “Are you sure? I am known for my great taste in movies.”

Okay, so that smell of grass was very strong right now. Jason ended up sneezing again. “Did Percy's family just cut the grass?”

Letting out a sigh, Piper stood back up. “I don't think so.” She smiled and patted Jason on the shoulder. “But I would like to hangout more, even with other people around.” 

Piper returned to her siblings, just as the other two had before her. Letting out a sigh, Jason got up to get a refill on his lemonade. He glanced over when Piper called for Silena to come over, motioning furiously for her older sister to hurry. Silena pecked Beckendorf on the lips before she got up and padded her way over to where her siblings were huddled together. Jason just let out a grunt and refilled his drink. What was their deal?

A very well-manicured hand reached out and grabbed an empty cup before filling it with lemonade. “Having fun, Jason?” Aphrodite asked with a smile. She reached into her glass and picked out an ice cube. There was no subtlety at all at how she rubbed the ice across her lips and upper chest. “It sure is hot out today. I hope you're ready for the weather down here.” It's quite,” she let the ice cube fall between her breasts, “unpredictable.”

Jason just forced a smile onto his face. “I'm sure I'll be fine.” He took a sip of his drink and headed over to where Luke and Nico were. “Have a good day.”

“Holy shit,” Mitchell said suddenly.

It was just strange. Everyone around the pool was staring at Jason in shock. Jason glanced over his shoulder. Aphrodite looked stunned, to put it simply. She had basically become a statue. And her children just sat there and gawked as Jason continued walking over to where Luke and Nico was. Jason finished off his lemonade and placed it on a nearby table before sitting down at the foot of Nico's lounge chair.

Silena shook her head and leaned in towards her siblings.

“Am I missing something?” Jason asked.

Nico repositioned himself, so he was sitting up. Shrugging, the boy pulled his knees up to his chest. “Who knows with them.” Even though he had just told Jason not to worry, the blond did not miss the way Nico glanced over at Piper and the others. And he frowned when Silena got up and began walking towards them. The brown-eyed boy sighed. “What now?”

Before she got to them completely, Silena stopped and signaled Nico to come to her. Letting out a grunt, the pale boy got up and walked over. Jason would deny it, but his eyes might have wandered down to watch Nico's hips as he walked away. Silena smirked as she crossed her arms and leaned in to whisper in Nico's ear.

Whatever she said caused Nico to frown. He shook his head. “No, you're wrong,” the boy said quietly. Silena just gave him a look. “You can't be serious.”

Silena turned him around and gave Nico a little shove back towards Jason and Luke. “Just humor me for a second.”

“Fine, whatever,” Nico mumbled as he sat back down. It made Jason's stomach do a somersault when the boy sat down a few inches away from Jason. Luke arched an eyebrow at the boy, but Nico ignored him. “Are your allergies acting up, Jason?”

Jason's shoulders slumped. That's what Nico wanted to talk about? “I don't know what's up, I don't get sick very often. Maybe like once a year.” A smile slowly crept across his face when Nico leaned towards him by leaning on his palm. “I'm sure I'm fine.”

Nico gave a small nod. “You know, I was thinking... While you're down here, you should probably visit New Orleans.” He smiled and sat cross-legged. “If you wanted, I could probably-”

“Yes!” Jason slowly blushed as he realized he hadn't even let Nico finish. “I mean, that would be great.” A huge smile burst onto his face. “When were you thinking? I'm good for whatever weekend you want. It sounds really fun.”

For a short while, Nico just blinked at him, mouth slightly agape. Luke glanced between the two of them. He opened his mouth, but slowly let it shut again. Nico just shook his head. “I'll, um, let you know.” He pursed his lips. “Would you mind... getting me some lemonade?”

Jason was basically over at the pitcher before he even knew what he was doing. But he just smiled and poured the drink. He returned and sat back down next to Nico, offering the boy the drink. He smiled stupidly as Nico took it with a sad smile.

Why was he sad? Had Jason done something wrong? Was their too much ice? Not enough? Did he want a bigger glass? Maybe Jason should have just brought the whole pitcher? Oh God, what if Nico canceled their trip because Jason had screwed up his drink?

He breathed a sigh of relief when Nico patted him on the shoulder. Nico glanced at Silena, who just smiled triumphantly. The girl returned to her siblings, who all looked shocked. Silena held out her hand and they each paid her some money.

Slowly, Nico raised the glass up to his mouth. He let out a breath, his eyes trained on Percy. But he never took a drink. He smiled and held the glass out for Jason. “Here. Why don't you drink it?” He rubbed the blond's shoulder. It was like icicles were touching Jason's body. “You look thirsty.”

As the liquid poured down Jason's throat, he could have sworn he smelled rain. It was his favorite smell. “I feel a little dizzy.”

Nico got up and motioned for Jason to follow. “Come on, we'll see if we can't find you some medicine.”

Unfortunately, Jason was paying more attention to the back of Nico's head, rather than his own footing. So, the blond ended up stumbling. Nico was quick enough and held out his hand. Jason quickly grabbed it, but found that he was no longer staring at Nico. It was the boy that looked like him, the one from Jason's dreams. There was a look of panic in the boy's eyes as he jerked his arm away. But it was no longer Jason's arm. Kronos now stood where Jason had been, and Jason himself did not seem to physically be there at all. But rather an invisible observer.

They were back in Salem, where night had fallen on the town. A few townspeople passed them by, though they do not seem to pay the boys any attention. The brown-eyed boy keept his head down as two women passed before looking up with panic in his eyes once again.

Kronos sighed and brushed his hair out of his eyes. “Calm down, there is nothing to worry about,” he whispered.

The other boy shook his head. “No, she hast seen,” the boy that looked like Nico hissed back.

“Thou art exaggerating.” Kronos grabbed the boy when he made to run again. “Calm thyself, please. We do not know what she hast saw, so we have no need to panic at this time.”

“She saw!”

Kronos narrowed his eyes, jerking the boy closer. “Keep thine voice down,” he hissed.

The other boy glared back at Kronos. “And if she did in fact see, what then?” Leaning in, he lowered his voice to make sure only Kronos could hear him. “How far would you go to protect the secret?”

Kronos's eyes searched the boy's brown orbs in the dark. But, before Kronos could answer, there was a snapping noise. It kept getting louder and louder, while the two boys faded away into smoke and darkness. Jason's eyes widened as he was brought back to find Nico's fingers snapping in his face.

“Hello, Jason? Are you there?”

The blue-eyed boy shook his head. “Um, yeah, I'm fine. I guess I zoned out a little.”

Nico tilted his head to the side. “A little? You were gone on me for at least two minutes.”

“Sorry,” Jason whispered.

Nico quirked a brow at him. “Are you sure you're all right?” Reaching into a cabinet, the brown-eyed boy pulled out a bottle of Tylenol. “You don't look like you've been sleeping very well,” he mumbled as he handed two pills to the blond.

Jason's shoulders slumped. “Is it that obvious.”

“Only to someone who doesn't sleep much themselves,” Nico mumbled as he poured a glass of water and slid it over to Jason.

Jason quickly downed the pills and placed the empty glass on the cabinet. “Why don't you sleep?”

Brown eyes flickered up for a brief moment before returning to the cabinet. “Who said I was talking about me?” Nico smirked. “I could have been talking about Annabeth, or perhaps Leo.”

“Leo's too hyper to not be sleeping,” Jason chuckled. He placed his empty glass in the sink. “But it's not like I haven't noticed. When school first started, you were practically falling out of your chair.”

Nico shook his head lightly. “It's nothing, I'm fine.” Jason was not convinced, but he kept his mouth shut. “I already get enough from my father, Demeter, Persephone, Luke, Percy, Reyna, Bianca, and Thalia, I don't really need you to add your concern to that list,” the boy mumbled, running a finger across the counter's surface. “But I'm flattered the oh so attractive Jason Grace takes the time out of his day to stare at me. Now I'll have to write your name in my binder at school and draw hearts around it.”

Without even changing the tone of his voice or batting an eye, Nico had completely mocked him. Well, two could play at that game. Jason smirked. “So you think I'm attractive?”

“Whoa, let's not get distracted here, there are more important things to think about.” Nico leaned his hip against the counter. “I mean, now I'm going to have to think about what I'm going to wear to prom, if you're taking so much time to stare at me.” The boy finally smirked. “Maybe if you used all that time trying to learn how to cook in class, you wouldn't be so bad off.”

Jason smiled goofily. “Well, maybe you-” He stopped and stared down at where he had touched Nico's arm. It had been so cold not but a few minutes ago, but now the raven haired boy was so warm. Nico looked down and smacked the blond's hand away. There was another deep thump, just like Jason had heard the first day he had met Nico.

Those dark eyes watched Jason's hand in confusion. Had Nico felt it, too? Slowly, Nico looked up at Jason. “Touch me again,” he said quietly, holding up his palm.

“Oh.” Jason held up his hand, slowly reaching out towards Nico.

Nothing. Nico's skin was still warm, but that was it. Nothing unusual. Nico grabbed Jason's wrist, then his shoulder, and finally the center of Jason's chest. Nothing. Nico began chewing on his lip.

“Maybe it was just a shock,” Nico muttered.

It sure didn't feel like a shock.

It was at this moment that it dawned on Jason at how close they were standing. He practically had Nico pinned against the counter, and Nico seemed to realize it as well. The boy's eyes lowered to Jason's chest a single time before he cleared his throat and maneuvered around the blond.

“I better get back outside,” Nico whispered as he slipped out of the kitchen.

Jason wiped a hand across his face, letting his head fall back. He needed to stop. Nico was taken, and he did not need to try hitting on the poor guy. He nearly jumped when Luke poked his head in the kitchen.

“There you are. So, I think everyone's done swimming for the day. If you want to grab your clothes, we'll head back over to my house and chill for a little bit,” the blond suggested.

Jason nodded his head. “Yeah, sounds good.”

Luke disappeared out of the kitchen, leaving Jason alone with his thoughts once again. Was it a good idea to spend more time around them right now? Or, more specifically, Nico. Yet, he was not really ready to go home. The more time he spent around them, the more he enjoyed the company of these outcasted kids. To him, everyone else in town were the weird people.

Jason headed up the stairs to retrieve his clothes. He found Aphrodite in one of the bathrooms, standing in front of a mirror while applying makeup. Or had been, because when Jason found her, she was just staring at her reflection.

Jason opened the door to the guest room that he had used earlier and slipped inside. Luke's clothes were already gone, which meant the other blond must have been up here before coming to find Jason. After changing, Jason headed back for the door when something shattered.

Stepping quickly through the door, Jason jogged down to the bathroom. Aphrodite still stood in front of the mirror, though it was now laying in shards in the sink. The blonde woman had her hand covering her mouth as she picked up a shard from the destroyed mirror.

“Um, are you okay?” Jason asked.

The blonde woman took in a deep breath, though her eye remained on the broken mirror. “Oh, Jason, you startled me.” She finally looked up and smiled. “Silly me, I guess I'm a little clumsy.” If Jason did not know better, it looked like the woman wanted to cry, judging by the red eyes. “I, um...” She rolled her hand in the air, like she was trying to think of what she wanted to say. “I'll need to get a broom.”

Jason took a step forward. “I can help clean that up.”

A sharp nail was pointed at Jason's face. “No!” Her face softened as she noticed Jason's startled expression. “I mean, no, that's quite all right. You're here for a party, you don't need to worry about such labor.” Her eyes returned to the shards of broken glass. Aphrodite slowly rubbed the back of her hand. When she noticed Jason still standing there, she raised her hand to the side of her face to block Jason's view of it. “I think Luke was wanting you to go back to his house.”

Nodding to her once, Jason took his leave. Taking the steps two at a time, he made his way outside, where he found Luke, Travis, and Connor waiting. The other blond smiled at him as he approached. “There you are. I was beginning to worry you got lost in the house.”

Jason chuckled. “No, I was just talking to Aphrodite, she seemed a little upset. Don't know how she managed it, but she said she broke a mirror.”

Luke's blue eyes roamed up to the window that must have been the bathroom. “Okay, well, I suppose it's nothing to worry about.” His words may have said as much, but Luke did not seem convinced himself. The smile had vanished from the blond's lips as his eyes continued to watch the open window. “Silena or one of the other kids will take care of it.”

Jason nodded and followed after the three siblings as they made their way down the steps. “So, is Nico not coming back with us?”

Luke perked up again. “Well, Nico was feeling tired, so Bianca took him home.” He nudged Jason's shoulder with a smile. “You know, as much as he might hate to admit it, I think he's warming up to you. Don't tell him I said that.”

Jason chuckled. “I won't. He's cool, when he's not being so closed off or trying to scare me.”

Travis and Connor suddenly appeared beside Jason, grinning like madmen. “So, Jason, what kind of birthday would it be without a magic trick?” Travis said with a sly grin.

“Um, shouldn't you have done that for Percy then?”

“Yeah, but Percy's seen most of our magic tricks,” Connor replied.

Luke shook his head. “Not today, Travis,” he sighed. “Besides, I'm pretty sure Jason doesn't want to see your lame trick.”

Jason shrugged. “Doesn't bother me.”

Connor's grin widened as he reached into his pocket. Luke narrowed his eyes in response. “No, you really don't want them to do this,” the eldest of the siblings mumbled. Connor stopped and frowned. “Believe me, you'd probably get physically injured, knowing them.”

“That's so hurtful,” Connor said, shaking his head.

“You both nearly got expelled for blowing up the science lab.”

Travis leaned an arm on Jason's shoulder. “He's exaggerating. There was just some smoke and a little fire, no big deal.” Jason glanced at Luke, unsure of where this might go. Maybe a magic trick was not the best idea. “Besides, what's the worst that can happen?”

“You could send him to the hospital,” Luke muttered under his breath.

The twins both pouted. “You don't trust us,” they both whined.

Luke rolled his eyes. “Fuck no. I can barely trust you to stay out of my room when I'm not home.”

Connor scrunched his lips. “You know, the projectile ink canon was really unnecessary.”

“Besides,” Travis continued, “it's a card trick.” That did not seem to ease Luke's suspicion at all. Connor handed his twin a deck of cards that he had pulled from his pocket. Travis shuffled the cards and then both of them tapped the top of the deck with their index fingers. He spread the cards out and held them out for Jason. “Pick a card, any card.”

Letting his fingers run across the cards for a brief moment before he grabbed a card in the middle. “Look at the card,” Connor instructed. Jason flipped it over. The two of hearts. He nodded and slipped it back into the deck. “Now, watch and be amazed.”

Travis shuffled the cards with a wicked smirk. “Now then, I need you to tell me your card.”

Jason arched a brow. “What?”

“Just do it,” Travis instructed. He tapped his foot as he waited for Jason.

“It was the two of hearts.”

Travis flicked the deck and knocked off the top card, which Connor managed to catch. “You mean,” Connor began. He flipped the card over with a huge grin. “This card?”

Sure enough, Jason was staring at his card. “Neat.” He arched a brow at the two. “Can you do it a second time?”

“You bet!” They replied, receiving a glare from their older brother.

After reshuffling the deck, Travis held the cards out again for Jason. Jason picked the one on the very bottom this time. He frowned as soon as he looked upon his card. It was the two of hearts again. Was this part of the trick? “Um, okay...” He placed the card back in the deck. After they shuffled the cards, Jason went to tell them the card. “Two of hearts.”

Travis paused and frowned down at his deck. Connor leaned in and whispered in his brother's ear. Travis pulled off the top card to reveal the two of hearts again. They didn't seem as content with the trick the second time around.

“That's not a very good trick,” Luke chuckled.

“Uh, one more time,” Travis muttered, shuffling the deck again. He held the cards out for Jason with a determined look on his face as he watched the blond pick his card. “What's your card?”

“Um...” It was actually the two of hearts... again. “Is this rigged?” He pulled more cards out of the deck. Five of clubs and the ace of diamonds. Well, they weren't all the same card. “It's the two of hearts again.”

Travis took back the three cards that Jason had took and reshuffled the deck. He then had the blond pull another card, which turned out to be the two of hearts yet again. “What the fuck?” The brunet muttered when Jason showed him the card. “It's not supposed to work like that.”

Luke just shuffled his head and patted his brother on the shoulder. “Nice try anyways, guys.” He chuckled at Jason. “Come on, let's go find something to watch.”

Once they were back at the house, Luke took Jason upstairs to the entertainment room and had him pick out a movie to watch. While Jason tried to make a decision, Travis and Connor ran downstairs to make some popcorn and get some drinks for all four of them.

Jason ended up staying until it was nearly dinner. Penelope offered to feed him, but Jason needed to get home so he declined. Now that school was in full swing, the boy had already found himself with a paper and an upcoming test that needed to be dealt with.

Placing his still drying swimming trunks on the top of his car, Jason fished out his keys. Catching sight of something from the corner of his eye, Jason glanced up.

Standing there, at the edge of the woods, was a big, black dog. Huge might be the better term for it. And it was watching him, or so it seemed. The dog just stood there and stared in Jason's direction. As the blond went to unlock his door, the dog began to growl. Oh god, Jason thought, he needed to get in his car.

“Jason!” It was Luke. With panic in his eyes, Jason looked at the other blond, who was standing on his front porch. “I hope you had a good time at the party!”

Jason quickly nodded his head. He opened his mouth to tell Luke about the dog, but when he looked back, the dog had vanished. Jason scanned the woods, but there just was no trace of the dog. He had not imagined it, had he? Well he was not on anything, so that was not likely.

Clearing his throat, he turned back to Luke. “It was great, actually.” Luke grinned back at him. “Thanks again!”

As soon as Luke was back in the house, Jason jumped in his car and held onto the wheel. He was not sure why the dog was getting to him so badly, especially when it had done nothing more than growl, but Jason's entire body was filled with dread. Cranking his car, Jason's body spasmed in a shiver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm reading through all my old chapters to remind myself of what is to come. As anyone that read the old version might can confirm, this chapter had quite a bit of changes made to it. And that's pretty much from here until chapter 16 or 17. I say 16 and 17, because I have one or two chapters I'll be adding in. I'm adding a new one in about two more chapters for sure. But a good bit of the fluff will be taken out. Percy and Nico were too dependent on each other in the old version and just always kissing. Which is nice, I know, but this isn't meant to be a fluff piece. As the tone of the environment typically suggests, it's a dark story. Like really dark. In fact, something very dark is going to happen in that new chapter.
> 
> That being said, do expect some of the good stuff that was in the old version to stay in. The fall festival is next chapter and it has always been one of my favorites, I'm just going to be adding a little more to it. So definitely expect a lot of the good shit to remain, don't worry about that being taken out. But starting next chapter, the content of each chapter is pretty good. Like I really like the upcoming chapters. So I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you guys next time. Might be a little longer than normal on an update, as I'm going to be outlining my book's plot for myself to reference and have notes for. But I'll try not to take too long, as I don't like making extensive notes as it is.


	8. Strange Encounters of the Horned Kind

In all his years, Jason had never been so thankful for October to arrive. Not because of any love for the holiday at the end of the month—not that he had anything against it—but because it meant that the air was finally cooling off. Even the simple act of getting into his car would often leave Jason feeling like he was being slapped in the face by the sun.

And nighttime with the cooler weather might have become Jason's favorite time to be outside in this town. Unlike back home in California, he could see the stars so clearly. It was nice to just lay out in the grass and stare up at them. It was just so... peaceful.

Still did not make him like most of the town's residents, but that was another matter.

Staring at the TV screen in front of him, Jason reached over for some popcorn. It was Friday, thankfully, and Luke had suggested they have a movie night. But, unlike usual, they had ended up having it at Ms. Mellie's house. Tonight's group consisted of Luke, Reyna, Leo, and Nico.

Reyna had ended up picking out the movie, which was _The Help_. Jason had never seen it, but it was pretty good so far. He quickly realized why the others seemed to like it as well. It was a movie about the south during a time of discrimination, where several females worked to expose what really went on in people's homes and the treatment of anyone that was black at the time.

However, Reyna was quick to point out that racial discrimination still went on in the south, and not just their town. Although, this town was a bit different on who they discriminated against.

Jason nearly jumped when he felt something cold brush against his hand. In the darkness, his blue eyes found Nico's pale hand in the bowl. Although, if Nico had noticed their fingers brush, the boy was not letting on.

And Nico was another matter altogether. About halfway through September, Jason had truly started to make a breakthrough with Nico. The boy was beginning to open up to him a lot more, or so it seemed.

He was not entirely sure what had brought it on, but after Percy's birthday, Nico just seemed less cold towards Jason. Sure the guy had started to let his guard down before then, but he no longer got irritated at the blond for no reason. There was still a hardness in the boy's eyes when he stared at Jason, but the only hostility that Jason received was in the form of a sarcastic comment when he messed up baking something in class.

However, Jason was faced with another problem that he had come to accept recently.

He had a crush on Nico. Big time. Just one day, when they were in class, Jason looked over at Nico with some flour on his pale face. His heart had raced and he could barely form a sentence when Nico had asked him to pass him some napkins.

So why was this a problem? Because of the blond on the other side of the dark haired boy. It was making Jason feel a little bitter about the situation. No matter how hard he tried, he did not see himself being able to compete with Nico's childhood friend.

But the more he got to know Nico, the more he found them compatible. Now that they were actually talking on a more regular basis, Jason found that they had similar beliefs on quite a few things that ranged from religion to politics, and even things like some choices in music. For someone that wore so much black, Nico's taste in music had been a little surprising. But Nico had also swore that he would “rip out Jason's vocal chord” if Jason said anything.

Nico was also dumping books on him to try to read. “It helps to survive this place,” the boy had said. Jason was quickly learning that Nico wanted to leave this place behind. Not that Jason could fully blame him.

Nico leaned against Luke's shoulder, which caused Jason to let out a sigh. Glancing down at the boy briefly, Luke placed his arm around Nico. “Is Demeter going to be cooking for the festival?” The other blond asked.

Nico inhaled deeply. “It seemed like it. I think that's what she was baking for earlier. She came over to borrow some ingredients from our house, and I think she was going to just stay and bake there.” Nico smirked. “Dad seemed displeased.”

Jason took his eyes off the TV screen. He had heard about the festival, and actually had been invited by several girls at school. Kinzie had been one of the first to ask him, saying that most of the town would be there. “Are you guys going?”

All eyes turned to Jason. Reyna shook her head. “Not likely. It's a fun event, but it's best if we don't turn up.”

“Yeah,” Leo agreed, “we wouldn't want everyone to have to go through the trouble of throwing stones at us.”

Jason looked mildly horrified. “They don't actually do that, do they?”

Leo shrugged. “Hey, the Bible does condone it.”

Reyna rolled her eyes. “They've never stoned us at any events.”

“Ah, but in private is another matter entirely,” Leo fired back.

“True,” the girl mumbled. She sighed and shrugged at Jason. “We usually don't go. But you should, it's a fun experience. There will be hayrides and pumpkin carvings. There's even usually a maze.”

Nico was still staring at Jason with his dark eyes. In the darkness, the boy's eyes seemed to be entirely black, like empty sockets of darkness staring at him in the dark room. Although, it did not seem to bother Jason in the slightest. Feeling adventurous, he asked the question that was on his mind.

“Do you want to go?”

Nico blinked in surprise. He glanced up at Luke, who simply shrugged and turned back to the movie. The brown-eyed boy let out a sigh, scrunching his lips. “Um, I don't know,” he whispered. “Being at school is one thing, but we try to avoid contact with most of the town whenever possible. They don't like us going to these things. I mean, they won't even let us play sports at school.”

“Like you'd even play sports,” Reyna mumbled.

Nico shot her a dirty look. “Shut it, Reyna.” Rolling his eyes, he turned back to Jason. “Clubs are the same. Annabeth and Reyna would be a great addition to many of their academic teams or clubs, but they simply refuse to take them or any of us because of who we are.”

Reyna didn't even seem phased by the comment, like she knew it was entirely true. “It's true, we're just not welcome in or at social events.”

Jason stuck out his lip in a pout. “Please?” He begged Nico. The boy narrowed his eyes in return. “Come on, show me this festival. You'll be with me, maybe they won't bother you.”

While he did not reply right away, Nico seemed to be contemplating the offer. While holding Jason's gaze, the boy chewed on his lip. Right before he gave Jason an answer, Nico glanced at Luke, a silent and unspoken plea in his eyes. “I'll go if the others go.”

Luke let out a long sigh, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “Fine, we'll tag along,” the blond mumbled. His blue eyes glanced over to Jason. “But if anything happens, we're just going to leave. As you saw on your first day here, things get a little crazy if something strange happens.”

“I wouldn't call a murder strange,” Reyna mumbled.

Luke rubbed his temple. “I just don't like having everyone around the people of this town if something does happen. We're always the first to get blamed for things around here.”

Jason nodded. “I understand.”

Leo stood up and stretched his arms over his head. “Then we're going to the festival!” He exclaimed before turning on the light and causing them all to shield their eyes.

Jason had not been paying to the movie at all. The credits were already rolling and he had no idea how the thing ended. The last thing he remembered, Emma Stone's character was in an argument with the brunette bitch in the movie.

Nico chuckled at seeing Jason's realization about the movie. “You can borrow it, if you want.”

Jason nodded. He was not sure how it ended, but it seemed like it was good enough to watch again to see it all without the distraction of having Nico beside him.

“So,” Luke began, “how about we meet here around seven tomorrow evening?” He glanced at everyone to see if there were any objections. There weren't. “I guess we'll see if any of the others want to go, but we can figure out vehicle arrangements tomorrow.”

“You're actually wanting to drive to this?” Jason asked. Normally, the kids just wanted to walk anywhere they went around town, since most things were in relative walking distance.

Reyna nodded. “It's on the other side of town. Besides, if things go badly, it would be best to have a vehicle close by.”

“If they don't key it,” Nico mumbled.

Jason arched a brow at Luke. The other blond shrugged. “It's happened. They did it at school once or twice, but Chiron isn't brainwashed like everyone else around here. He suspended the kids for like two weeks.”

“We can take my car, if that would help,” Jason suggested.

Luke grinned and patted Jason's shoulder. “Don't worry about it, dude. If they do anything, we'll just get our cars fixed.”

Jason went to hug Reyna, but she just shook his hand with a nod. “Thanks for having us over, it was fun.”

Leo swept in and took the hug from Jason. “She's not much of a hugger,” he whispered. For such a short boy, Leo could knock the wind out of his hugging victims. “Hopefully, we won't get attacked by the mob tomorrow.”

“Always the optimist,” Nico mumbled. His brown eyes glanced up at Jason when Leo released the blue-eyed boy.

Even though they had gotten closer, the few times that Jason had hugged Nico, the boy always tensed up. And this time was no exception. The second Jason had his arms around the boy, Nico's body instantly locked up. However, like always, Nico did clutch on to the back of Jason's shirt in an attempt to hug the other boy back.

The door to Ms. Mellie's room slowly creaked open and out came the woman in her robe, carrying an empty bowl that had contained popcorn. “Are all of you leaving already? I hope you had fun watching your movie.”

They all smiled at the woman. “Thank you for letting us come over, Ms. Mellie,” Luke said.

The woman smiled and patted the back of her hair. “Oh it was no trouble at all, sweetheart. Feel free to come over anytime.”

Jason opened the door to the house and was instantly greeted by the amazing fall weather. The leaves had begun to fall from their trees, littering the yard in their vast array of colors. Reyna had driven tonight, her red mini-cooper parked on the curb. Jason held back a laugh as Luke and Nico were forced to climb into the back. With their long legs, there was no way that was pleasant for them.

The four of them waved at Jason as Reyna pulled away from the curb. Jason waved back, his other hand in his back pocket. He smiled to himself once they were out of sight, his head tilted back to look up at the night sky. There was not a cloud in the sky tonight, giving everyone a perfect view of the hundreds of thousands of stars in the sky.

After he shut the door, Jason leaned against it with a sigh. He wondered if it would be so easy for him to leave this place when the year was over. Part of him wished he could have been born into one of their families, and then maybe things would have been different for him.

He could have felt like he belonged.

Frowning to himself, Jason reached up to scratch his chest. But that was not the case. In truth, Jason had felt alone ever since his parents died. Sure he had his aunt—who wasn't even his real aunt—his friends, and his past relationships since then, and even Ms. Mellie now. But there was just an empty hole missing inside of him.

Not even caring to see what time it was, Jason gave a small wave to Ms. Mellie and went into his bedroom. He plopped down on his bed, placing his hand under his head as he looked up at the dark ceiling. He was not sure why, but his thoughts had been consumed about all of this as of late. Perhaps it was his current living conditions. Living so far from where he had grown up at seventeen years of age, with a near stranger, did not really feel like home. And on top of that, Jason often found himself lonely.

Which was another reason Nico had, thankfully, been spending a lot more time with him. “I know what it's like to feel that way,” the boy had said, “and you don't deserve to feel like that. I suppose, if I must, I'll just have to suffer through spending some time with you.”

Jason had smiled at that. Leave it to Nico to add sarcasm to his heartfelt words. Jason sighed and closed his eyes, eventually drifting off to sleep.

And, for the first time in over a month, Jason dreamed.

Kronos looked up from a book as the door opened to reveal his mother and the boy that looked like Nico. The brown-eyed boy grinned at seeing Kronos, seeming quite content with himself. Kronos smiled back before returning his eyes to the book in his lap.

“You did well today,” Kronos's mother praised the boy behind her. She stood in front of a kettle now, breaking apart herbs and tossing them into the boiling water. “I can see why your mother insisted that you be the one that I spend my time on.

The dark haired boy bowed. “Thank you, Gaea. You honor me with your words.”

Gaea eyed him as she mixed her ingredients, the hint of a smirk touching at her lips. Her green eyes turned to her son. “Kronos, could you fetch some more firewood?”

Kronos nodded, standing to his feet. The brown-eyed boy quickly appeared at his side. “If it pleases you, I would offer my help,” the boy that looked like Nico quickly offered.

Kronos looked to his mother, who nodded her head. The two boys stepped outside, Kronos grinning as soon as the door was shut. “I take it things are going well with my mother?”

The other boy placed his hands behind his back as he walked beside Kronos. “She says I'm doing rather well. Your mother flatters me.”

“As I hear it, you have already mastered what your father could not.” Kronos's near golden eyes watched the boy as he walked. “Perhaps I could observe one day?”

“Unfortunately, your mother says she cannot help me with... my personal studies, so I would not be certain what might be allowed.”

“So, she simply helps you master the basics?” Kronos asked.

The other boy gave a nod. “I have, however, shown her a demonstration.”

“When I saw,” Kronos whispered, gathering up a few logs of wood, “I felt rather impressed at the sight. I would go as far to say that you have quite a bit of talent.”

The brown-eyed boy smirked. “The son of Gaea does flatter me.” Letting out a sigh, the boy turned his gaze towards some houses.

Kronos stopped, silently watching the boy. “How has your father taken it all?” Kronos's voice was low and gentle, concern lacing every word that spilled from his mouth.

The corner of the boy's lips tilted down. “He was most unhappy at first. He gave me a bruise on my cheek that my mother did her best to heal.” Turning to face Kronos, sure enough, there was a small bruise barely visible on the bottom edge of his jaw.

Kronos reached out and touched the boy's chin, tilting the brown-eyed youth's head to get a better look at the bruise. “It should heal soon.”

The other boy did not seem all that concerned about his condition. “My sister often asks about you.”

Kronos let out a sigh. “Your sister tires my patience.”

The boy next to him smirked and gathered up more firewood. “Come, your mother might begin to wonder if you've run off with me,” he said. Kronos smiled and walked alongside the other boy until they disappeared into Gaea's house.

Everything was now different. A new home, not yet fully constructed, stood around Kronos. The boy's clothes were slightly different. Stitches covered his pants and shirt, obviously having been sewn back together many times.

The boy that looked like Nico walked past Kronos, smiling to the other boy as he followed after his father. There were quite a few other teenagers, children, and adults walking the halls of the large house that was being constructed.

A boy with black hair and sea-green eyes came up beside Kronos. “This place is strange,” he whispered. He stood roughly the same height as Kronos. Possibly the same age, just with more muscle on him.

“Mother says this is where we must go. Others are here, they may be able to help us.” Kronos's golden eyes glanced at the boy next to him. “You worry too much, Neptune. Salem is far behind us.” With a frown, he placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. “I am sorry about your father, you have my condolences.”

“Lost both of my parents,” the other boy whispered.

“I know the feeling.” The boy that looked like Nico had returned. He stared up at the unfinished ceiling. “I shall miss my sister.”

“Circe seemed very angry before being hanged,” Neptune observed. Kronos said nothing, while the other boy simply shrugged. “I do have to wonder if it may have had anything to do with-”

“We trust that you will keep it secret,” Kronos hissed.

Neptune held his hands up in defense. “I was not going to say a word, I swear it. What friend would I be of yours if I betrayed your trust like that?”

“A very unpleasant one,” came a commanding female voice. All three boys stood up straight as Gaea walked into the room. “There was nothing that could have been done.” Her eyes drifted between Kronos and the brown-eyed boy, narrowing.

Kronos glanced down at his mother's hand. A very old and thick book was held at her side. A red symbol had been etched onto the cover. In the center was an inverted triangle. Within the triangle was this strange circle with just a small opening at the bottom. It was strange because, due to the red color, it looked like someone had traced the circle in blood and had let it trail off at the end. On the underside of the top of the circle were the only actual words written on the cover, and they were upside down. The eerie part was that Jason could actually read it. “The Void” was all it said in lettering that looked like it had finely been scratched on the surface by a fingernail.

“Neptune, I shall need to borrow you for a moment,” the woman continued. She then turned her gaze back to the other two boys. “Gather the other eleven for me, I need to make sure this is secure.”

A cold chill ran down Jason's spine. There he was suddenly, standing a few feet away from everyone, but they did not notice him. He turned to his side and found that the ghostly boy from his dreams was standing there, watching everything play out with him.

Kronos and the brown-eyed boy bowed and took off down the corridors. The ghost boy next to Jason opened his mouth to say something, but everything that came out seemed so foreign. Like maybe the words were backwards. And then he touched Jason, and it was like ice. He could feel himself being ripped away from the dream. The paint on the walls slowly began to chip away, swirling and destroying the scenery. And then there was nothing but black, an empty void of nothing. The ghost boy was farther away now, reaching out for Jason as the distance between them seemed to only grow. There was no sound, at least not until a loud bang shattered through the silence.

Jason's eyes shot open. He swallowed hard and peered through the darkness at his bedroom door. He had left it open, but it was now shut. A chill ran down his spine as he felt the bed shift at his feet. Slowly, pressure was applied across his body, like someone were on top of him.

Then, from the darkness, came the most horrid face that Jason had ever laid eyes on.

Her teeth were yellow and rotten. Her face was a sickly gray color with black blood dripping from her mouth and eyes. The hair on the woman's—if you wanted to call her that—head was thin, most of it had fallen out. There was even a worm hanging out of the woman's temple. But worst of all, her eyes were missing.

She shrieked at Jason, her knees planted on either side of Jason's stomach. With a decaying hand, the creature of a woman grabbed Jason by his shirt and shrieked at him. Jason's eyes shot wide, his hand reaching out for whatever it could grab. He ended up knocking over the lamp as he struggled to turn it on.

The second light flooded into the room, the woman vanished. Jason stared down at his chest and the bed, where the woman had just been, but there was not even a sign that anyone had been standing there. His sheets were clean and without any traces of insects, worms, or dirt.

The door swung open and in came Ms. Mellie, carrying a wooden baseball bat. She would have been more intimidating, if she didn't have on a flowered nightgown and her hair in rollers. She let the bat drop to her side, however, when she noticed nobody but Jason was in the room. The blond reached over to his nightstand and put on his glasses and Ms. Mellie turned on the light.

“Thought I heard the most inhuman noises coming from in here,” the woman said, peering out Jason's window. “Everything all right in here, sweetie?”

“Yeah,” Jason whispered. He cleared his throat. “Was just watching a horror movie on my phone. Didn't expect it to be that loud.”

The woman nodded, but still proceeded to open the blond's closet and check under his bed. She actually dug around under his bed, even made Jason let her check under his pillow. It was like she was looking for something. Did she think someone was staying over with Jason? If so, under his pillow should be the last place to look. Still, she seemed content after looking in Jason's nightstand. Luckily, since he wasn't seeing anyone, Jason hadn't actually bought any condoms yet, so he was safe on that front.

“Well, just try to keep it down a little. Try to get some sleep if you're planning on going to the festival tomorrow.”

Jason arched a brow at the bat, though. “Where did you get a bat?” It wasn't his, so why did she have it?

Ms. Mellie seemed slightly surprised, her eyes widening. A small blush crept onto her cheeks. “Oh, this thing?” A, uh... A friend gave it to me.” She nodded. “Yep.”

“Okay then...” Jason took his glasses off again and slid back down in his bed. “I'll see you in the morning, Ms. Mellie.” The woman smiled and turned off the light before she shut the door.

Staring up at the ceiling, Jason wiped his hands down his face. His eyes felt heavy, like he had not gotten any sleep at all. Staring at the clock, Jason found that it was a little after three. He had been asleep for around four or five hours, yet his body told him that he had been awake the entire time. A cold feeling of dread ran down Jason's spine as the door to his room slowly slid open.

\--------------------------------------------

The others showed up at seven on the dot. Luke had borrowed his dad's van, which had been packed with himself, the twins, Reyna, Thalia, Annabeth, and Percy. Frank pulled in behind the van, driving a red mustang. Hazel smiled as she jumped out of the passenger seat. Leo waved from the backseat.

After crossing the lawn, Jason clasped hands with Luke. “Nico didn't come?”

“Ah.” Luke scratched his cheek. “Demeter is bringing him. She made a pie for the festival, so she was going to drop by for a few minutes.” Smirking, he leaned in closer so that only Jason could hear him. “I think she just wants to make sure she's the best cook in town.”

Annabeth smiled from the back of the van. Something about her that Jason noticed was how she never seemed to try to look good, but she always managed to do so. Like it just came naturally. “You boys ready to go?” She called out.

Luke just stuck his tongue out at the girl before motioning to Jason that they should climb in the van. Jason sat in the very back with Annabeth and Percy. The raven haired boy gave him a crooked grin as Jason slid in beside the boy. Jason was still a little unsure of what to make of Percy. He liked the guy, he was cool, but Jason wasn't sure what was going on with Percy and Nico still. And it bothered him.

“Ready to get food thrown at you for being around us?” Percy grinned.

“Damn, forgot my riot shield in my other pair of jeans,” Jason joked back. His glasses went a little lopsided as Percy clapped him on the back with laughter.

“Oh,” Percy continued, “so Leo wanted to know if you wanted to come over to his house one day and work on our project?”

Jason smiled and nodded. “Yeah, that sounds great.”

“Great!” Percy beamed. “Just a fair warning, though, his dad can be a little grumpy.”

“We can always do some baseball or football down in the field after you guys finish,” Annabeth suggested.

“Sounds even better,” Jason chuckled. Percy nodded his agreement. “I take it you guys have a field somewhere near your houses?”

“Yeah,” Thalia replied, turning around to face them. “There's a big one behind where most of our houses are. And it's just primarily used for sports. They used to use it for crops, but they stopped planting those quite a few years ago.”

The festival already looked to be in full swing by the time they arrived. The two vehicles unloaded and the group headed through the gravel parking lot. Jason had never really been to a festival. He had been to a few carnivals back in California, but they had all been small with nearly rundown rides. This was a whole different experience.

Like at fairs and carnivals, there were the standard booths with candy: cotton candy, caramel apples, etc. However, it all looked to be freshly made. Annabeth said that the apples actually were from a local batch of trees. There were a few small games and prizes for those lucky enough to beat the games. The hayride was set up near the edge of some woods, where a small trail had been made. And, of course, there were the pumpkins. The pumpkins were everywhere.

Children ran around with some small ones in their arms, eager to make their own jack-o-lantern. “I figured the town wouldn't like Halloween?” Jason mumbled.

“Oh they don't,” Luke chuckled. “They call them festive pumpkins, and the kids aren't allowed to carve scary faces.” He grinned and stuck his tongue out. “Which is amusing, because when Nico and I were younger, we actually did come to the festival one year. And Nico, loving Halloween as he does, decided to disobey the rules. Some other kids did end up smashing his pumpkin, but he was still happy about it up until then.”

“And I shall treasure the memory of him always.”

The group turned to find Nico standing behind them with his hands in his aviator jacket pockets. Demeter stood beside him, smiling as she held a large peach cobbler. And it smelled like heaven. Jason definitely knew one piece of dessert he would be tasting tonight.

“I think I'm just going to go drop this off,” Demeter stated.

Nico frowned as the woman began to head to a long table that had been set up under some tents. Brown eyes flickered up to meet Luke's blue orbs. “Do you mind?”

Luke shrugged. “Come on, guys. It'll just be a minute, and we can all get something,” the blond ordered. Nico leaned up to whisper in his ear. Luke's eyebrows rose slightly. “Um, and this is just a warning.”

The rest of the kids grumbled as they followed after Demeter. Jason cocked his head to the side. “A warning for what?”

“Uh,” Luke blew out a breath, “you know, just not to eat too much junk food.”

It seemed like Nico had the right idea, as Mrs. Dodds and two other ladies were standing near some chocolate cake when they arrived. The woman's beady eyes narrowed at the sight of them from underneath her wide brim hat. When she noticed Jason with them, she bristled.

While Nico was keeping an eye on his step-grandmother, he did have Luke whispering in his ear. The brown-eyed boy took his eyes off Demeter for a moment to give Luke a warning look. “Drop it,” he whispered to the blond.

Most of the group tried to find something to eat, but Nico stood a few feet away from Demeter, seemingly with no interest of getting something to eat.

Percy offered the pale boy a chocolate chip cookie. “So, you want to go into the corn maze?”

Nico let out a sigh, shaking his head with a small smile. “I'm okay.” He stiffened when he noticed Mrs. Dodds making her way over to Demeter, her snickering friends behind her.

“Well, well, look who decided to show their face.” Mrs. Dodds crossed her arms, sticking her nose up. “Come to try and find a child to cook up for one of your devil rituals on Halloween?”

Demeter just smiled and patted Nico on the shoulder. “Just bringing my grandson here to the carnival.” Nico glared at Mrs. Dodds, who sneered at the boy. “Oh, and I thought I'd offer some cobbler.”

The women all eyed the cobbler, obviously tempted to try it. It seemed Demeter's cooking really was famous and desired around the town. The women behind Mrs. Dodds started to whisper while they pointed to the cobbler. Mrs. Dodds inhaled deeply, puffing up like a chicken. “Well, I suppose we'll need to give that a try. Wouldn't want the children around here eating something you might have bewitched.”

Demeter did not seem bothered by the woman's words at all. “Go ahead, there's plenty for everyone.” The woman watched with much satisfaction as each woman got a small plate and piled it high with cobbler. “So, how is it?”

“Very good,” one woman managed to mumble around a mouthful of food.

“I'm so glad you like it,” Demeter replied, sounding very pleased with herself.

The kids relaxed once the women had their mouths full of Demeter's peach cobbler. The twins headed off into the fair grounds, which seemed to make Luke a little uneasy. He watched his brothers go until they were completely out of sight, and even then he craned his neck to try and spot them.

Jason got himself a plate after Hazel and Frank decided to go find a game to play. Apparently, Frank was going to win Hazel a giant teddy bear. Instead of contemplating what he wanted to get, Jason headed straight for Demeter's cobbler.

He wanted to try it and tell the woman how it was, but it seemed like she was getting ready to leave. “And you'll be all right?” She asked Nico as she pulled her keys out of her purse.

Nico nodded. “I'll ride home with Frank.”

The woman nodded and took her leave, casting a final look to Mrs. Dodds and the other women as they stuffed their faces with the pie from the woman they hated so much. Jason frowned at them before raising the fork up to his mouth.

However, before he could take a bite, Nico's hand latched onto his arm. “Don't eat that.”

Jason arched an eyebrow. “Why not? Everything she cooks is amazing.”

“Um, because you might not like it.” Nico released his arm, but kept a watchful eye on the blue-eyed boy's hand. “She burnt the crust, and I think she added way too much sugar.”

Jason found all that hard to believe. As much of Demeter's cooking as he had since he arrived in town, not once had he seen her mess up on her food. “I'm sure it'll be fine,” Jason chuckled before shoving his fork into his mouth. He closed his eyes and moaned at the taste.

Nico looked pale as Jason chewed the cobbler. Luke was also staring over at him, his blue eyes wide as he watched Jason eat. “Oh shit,” Jason thought he heard Annabeth curse as she too watched him.

Jason did not understand what the big deal was, the cobbler tasted amazing. “You want some?” He offered Nico.

The boy shook his head. “No, I'm... I'm okay.” He sighed and reached out, taking the plate from Jason and putting it down. Jason whined and went to pick it up from where Nico had put it, but the boy grabbed his wrist and jerked him away from the table. “You want to go check out the maze, or something?”

“But-” Jason shut up when he realized Nico was holding his hand. While he had yet to feel the overwhelming pulse like he had previously in the past, there was a warmth radiating from Nico's hand. Which Jason found odd, considering how it was slightly chilly out now. “I thought you said you didn't want to?”

“I changed my mind,” Nico shot back, not even trying to slow down.

“Can we go on the hayride, too?” Percy asked as he jogged up to them, looking like an excited child on Christmas.

Nico stiffened slightly. “Um, yeah, sure.”

It was hard to tell how big the maze was, but it seemed a pretty decent size. The borders were all surrounded by hay bales, save for the entrance and exit, which were basically right next to each other. The way Reyna described it was that the paths covered the whole corn field, but it winded back around to the beginning. But it was also easy to get lost, she added.

“Basically, stay on the path as best you can,” Thalia said as they got in line. “There are no walls inside, just the corn.”

“People will try and jump out or pull you in to get you to diverge from the path,” Nico said as he crossed his arms. His dark gaze was trained on a scarecrow that had been placed high over the field. “You will think it sounds easy going in, but you'll see.”

To Jason's surprise, the guy in charge actually separated them in groups and sent them in three different directions. Percy and Annabeth held on tightly to each other to ensure the man threw them on the same path. The two giggled to themselves as they disappeared around a corner. Thalia, Leo, and Reyna were next. It was just going to be the girls, but Leo jumped in and said he would protect them. He got smacked on both sides of his head for that.

Then it was time for Luke, Jason, and Nico. Jason was grabbed by the collar of his shirt and flung into the center path. Nico nearly tripped over him, but Luke caught the boy. “Ready to begin?” Luke asked with a grin. Nico just crossed his arms with a sigh and took off down the path.

And, well, it really didn't take them all that long to get lost.

A rather large man with a hood on his head suddenly jumped out and grabbed Nico by the front of his shirt. Right as Nico was about to be pulled into the stalks of corn, he grabbed Jason by the arm and held on tight. Luke grabbed onto the back of Jason's shirt as they were all pulled off the path.

Nico huffed from where he had ended up on the ground. “Why did I agree to this?” He grumbled.

“It's fine,” Luke chuckled. He stood to his feet and looked up at the sky. “It shouldn't be too hard to find a path again.”

“But it could lead us to a dead end.”

“That's part of the adventure.”

“I hate adventure,” Nico mumbled as he got up and dusted himself off.

Luke just shook his head with a smile. “Isn't he just so cheerful?” He grinned at Jason.

While they were searching for the path again, they just so happened upon some rustling corn stalks. “I swear, if whoever is there grabs me, I will make them wish I was going to sacrifice them to the devil,” Nico said.

With a yelp, Eros came tumbling out. The brunet rolled a few times and landed at their feet. With some help from Luke and Jason, the boy got to his feet. Those big green eyes blinked in slight shock as he stared between Nico and Luke. “Hello,” he said quietly. Luke smiled and waved. The brunet cleared his throat and turned to Jason. “So, um, I got lost like five minutes ago and I'm kind of lost.” He motioned over his shoulder. “There's a rope just a few steps that way. Makes the third time I lost my bearings.”

“Join the club,” Nico muttered, motioning to the three of them.

“Oh.” Eros blinked at the pale boy. Even if he wasn't like the rest of the town, it was very clear to Jason that Eros wasn't that used to talking to these kids. At least he didn't seem scared of them. And he had been in class with Luke in the past before, right? “I guess we can find our way together then.” He held up his hands with a nervous laugh. “I mean, as long as you don't mind me tagging along.”

“Of course not!” Luke immediately answer. Nico stared up at the blond with an arched brow. One that Luke made a point to ignore. “I'm sure it won't be that hard with the four of us.”

Nico grinned wickedly and whispered something in Luke's ear, which made the blond's face turned super red. Coughing, Luke put a hand on Eros's back—which the boy slightly tensed up at—and led the group forward. Nico just shook his head and motioned for him and Jason to follow Luke and Eros.

Since Luke was busy trying to make awkward conversation with Eros ahead of them, Jason decided to make some small talk with Nico. “So,” he began, “how did your families meet anyways?”

“Oh.” Nico blinked in surprise. He had probably never been asked that by someone outside of their families. “Um, we've known each other a rather long time. Some dating back to European days. All of our families actually met in Salem, believe it or not. That's probably one of the reason the people here like to call us witches.” He shrugged, keeping his eyes on his feet. “We moved away from there when things got pretty bad. A few members of our families got hanged, so we felt it best to move.”

“That's pretty dark.”

“Yeah,” was all Nico replied with.

After a minute or two of silence, Jason changed the subject. “Where would you like to move to?”

“I'll probably live here,” Nico muttered with a sigh.

“Where would you want to live then?”

A hint of a smile touched at the corner of Nico's lips as he glanced at Jason. “I don't know, never thought about it. I'd like to see the world. All of it. At least once in my life.”

“That's a pretty long list of places,” Jason chuckled. “But you have the money, so just need the time.”

Something seemed to flash in Nico's eyes as he watched Jason. “Yeah. Time.” He smiled, but it was a hollow one. “I think I can manage that.” With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair. “My mother's side came from Italy and my father's from Greece. I think I'd like to see both of those countries for sure. Maybe New York. A lot of Europe.”

Jason's brow furrowed as he let his hand run along the stalks of corn that they passed. “So, why do you think you'll live here the rest of your life?” He looked down at Nico. “You could move when you finish high school. You don't have to come back.”

“My family is here.”

“Why don't they move then? This town is backwards, you could do better.”

Nico's eyes flickered forward to stare at the back of Eros's head. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. Pursing his lips, he stared into Jason's eyes. “It's complicated.”

“You should come visit California with me.” A blush crept onto Jason's cheeks as soon as the words left his mouth. “I mean, I could show you around Los Angeles.”

Nico chuckled. “That could be nice.”

“Ahoy! Earth to you two!” Luke called out to them. Jason was surprised to find that Luke and Eros were quite a few steps ahead of them. “We found the path again.”

When they made it out, Eros smiled at them. “Thanks for the help.” He tilted his head to the side from the goofy grin on Luke's face. “Um, so I am going to go find my friends, I guess.” He smiled again with a wave. “Bye!” He stopped after a few steps and turned to face Luke. “And I would be happy to tutor you in Trigonometry. Maybe we could meet at the library? My dad doesn't really like having guests over. Especially...”

“Someone like Luke,” Nico mumbled. Luke elbowed him in the side.

“That's fine,” Luke grinned. “I'll see you Monday afternoon. Eros waved again and took off jogging. Nico arched a brow at the blond. “What?”

“You have an A in Trigonometry, Luke,” Nico shook his head.

Percy and Annabeth had actually beat them out by several minutes, as they found the two at a picnic table. “Hey, guys!” Percy greeted them. “What took you so long?”

Nico sat down across from them and plucked off a piece of blue cotton candy that Percy was holding. “You'd probably be so lost in there right now, if it weren't for Annabeth.” The blonde girl smirked and bumped Nico's fist. Nico stuck his tongue out when Percy pouted at him.

It was another five minutes before Leo, Reyna, and Thalia joined them. “We would have been back sooner, but Einstein here wouldn't take our directions,” Thalia grumbled as she sat down between Nico and Jason. The blond did his best to hide his disappointment. She grabbed the rest of Percy's cotton candy, much to the boy's protest, and turned to Jason. “So, how's the festival treating you?”

Jason chuckled at Percy's defeated look. He had his hands splayed out across the table and his face planted on its metal surface. “It's pretty fun. We got a little lost ourselves, but it wasn't so bad.” Jason's eyes met with Nico's, who stared at him with an unreadable gaze. After a few seconds, he turned his attention back to Thalia. “So, your mom and Apollo are siblings? How much older is your mother?”

Thalia chuckled and stuffed more cotton candy in her mouth. “They are actually twins.” She grinned at the stunned look on Jason's face. “Before you ask, I was adopted. Artemis took me in when I was still very young. I don't even really remember my parents.”

“That sucks,” Jason mumbled.

“I hear you lost yours,” Thalia continued. “That must have sucked as well.”

“Where are your biological parents?”

“Oh...” Thalia cleared her throat, looking at the candy like it had a sour taste. “They died. But it's whatever. Artemis is pretty great, and she acts more like a big sister anyways.”

Suddenly having recovered from his stolen cotton candy, Percy jumped up. “Guys, we need to hurry and get on the hayride.” Nico let out a groan. “You promised!”

“You're such a child,” Nico whispered.

After Percy managed to get everyone up, Jason found himself waiting in the small line for the hayride. He was a little disappointed that it couldn't just be him and Nico, but he needed to remember that Nico was not available. He had wanted to be alone with Nico all evening, but that did not seem like it was going to happen. After thinking about it earlier today, Jason had decided it was best if he got his feelings off his chest. While he knew nothing would come of it, it was still probably better than keeping his feelings built up within him.

At the moment, Nico was not even near him. Luke had the boy to himself, and Annabeth and Thalia stood in between Jason and the two of them. While they were whispering, Jason did catch Nico say, “We'll talk later. Just for right now, don't let us be alone.”

Luke leaned in and whispered something in Nico's ear. He seemed a little frustrated with the boy, by the looks of things.

When it came time for them to get on the hayride, Reyna dragged Luke and Thalia ahead in the line. Percy grumbled as Annabeth pulled him onto the wagon that was loaded down with bundles of hay. And then came the bad news.

“Looks like we're full,” the man in charge of the hayride announced. All that was left was Jason and Nico. “You two can hop on the one back there.”

Jason nodded to Nico, who followed the blue-eyed boy to the horse and wagon behind the one their friends were on. Jumping up, Jason held out his hand and assisted the other boy in getting on. Nico mumbled his thanks and sat down on the back. And by the looks of the kids that had been in line behind them, they had no intentions of getting on the same wagon as Nico.

“Guess it's just the two of us,” Jason said with a smile.

“Yay,” Nico droned.

Their friends' wagon was pulled into the woods, while the man in charge of their wagon climbed up on the front. The man waited until the other wagon was far enough out of sight before getting his horse to move. With a small jerk, Jason and Nico's wagon was pulled into the dark woods.

There were a few scares on the way, but nothing too graphic. “They try to keep it mild,” Nico said with a roll of his eyes. “And the haunted house the town sometimes puts on at the end of the month is practically a joke.”

Jason smiled. “You guys should put one on.”

“I don't think anyone would come to it,” Nico chuckled. It was nice seeing the boy laugh, he was cute.

“I would.”

Nico's brown eyes glanced over to him in the dimly lit woods. “I bet. Wouldn't be too scared of what we might come up with?” There was the dark glint in Nico's eyes again, watching and studying Jason for a hint of fear.

But there was none to be had. Jason did not feel scared of Nico, even when he was like this. “As long as it's you scaring me,” the blond replied, sticking out his tongue playfully.

Nico rolled his eyes and looked away, crossing his arms in his lap. Jason thought he heard the boy mumble something, but it was too quiet to actually catch. Jason sighed and propped himself up by placing his hands on either side of him. How was he supposed to tell Nico how he felt? Sure he made a fool of himself many times in the past, but it was not like he went around trying to do it. And for some reason, the inevitability of being rejected by Nico made his stomach feel nauseous.

“You do that a lot.”

Jason blinked at the sound of Nico's voice. He had not even realized that they boy was looking at him again. He arched a brow. “Do what?”

Nico nodded to Jason's chest. “That.”

Jason looked down and found he was scratching his chest. “Oh.” He dropped his hand to his lap. “Long story.”

Nico nodded in understanding. “It's okay if you don't want to talk about it.”

“I don't mind,” Jason whispered. He peeled back the collar of his shirt and touched at the red spot he had left from his scratching. “It's where I got shot. I don't know, even after it healed, the wound seemed to keep irritating me.”

“You should be dead,” Nico whispered. His eyes stared at the spot on Jason's chest like it was a sick puppy. “It's very... close to your heart.”

“Jason.” The blond let go of his collar. “But, by some miracle, here I am. I guess it just wasn't my time. Well, that and I must have had an amazing doctor, though he said he really didn't know how to explain it.”

Nico's lips pursed. He seemed to be deep in thought, but it was hard to read his expression as the light faded even more. “I guess you're very lucky then,” the boy finally whispered.

Jason took in a deep breath. He needed to get it over with, his conscious told him. But what if Luke started not to like him because of his feelings for Nico? Would Luke be that kind of guy? Probably not. If they had known each other for so long, the blond probably felt secure. But that also did not seem to stop Nico doing whatever it was with Percy. And Jason kind of felt like Luke might have a crush on Eros, but that might have just been him.

“Jason?”

“Hmm?” Jason replied. Nico was looking at him with concern. He must have caught Jason staring. “Sorry, I was just thinking.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Don't hurt yourself then.”

Jason's face remained solemn. When Nico noticed this, he too fell silent. “Um,” Jason began, “I actually wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Oh?” Nico tilted his head to the side. “About what? If you need more help with cooking, you should go to Demeter.”

Jason narrowed his eyes. “That's not what it's about, jerk.” Nico just grinned back at him. “I, uh, sort of lied back when Luke asked if I liked anyone yet.”

Nico's grin vanished. “Oh? Do I know them? Is it Kinzie? Because she's always hanging around you at school. And, I mean, I guess I could see-”

“I like you.”

Nico just sat there, stunned. “Uh...” He cleared his throat. “You're joking, right?”

Jason slowly shook his head, casting his gaze to the hay that they sat on. “I'm sorry,” he whispered, “I shouldn't have said anything.”

“No, it's... fine.” Nico was still in shock. “I, uh, just wasn't expecting it. I mean, I thought you were just staring at me because I had something on my face.” Biting down on his lip, Nico inched away from Jason. “But I don't think it's a good idea to try and pursue those feelings.”

There it was, Jason thought. “I know,” he whispered. Nico had Luke, and that would always be final. “I understand.”

“It's just complicated, Jason.” Nico patted his hand gently. The blond was beginning to hate that word. “I mean, I still want us to be friends, but-”

“There's Luke.”

Nico gave Jason a look like the blue-eyed boy had grown a second head. “Um, what? What does Luke have to do with anything?”

Jason blinked. “Well, you're dating him, that's why.”

For a brief moment, everything was silent. And then, finally, Nico busted out laughing. Jason honestly did not see what was so funny, but whatever it was had Nico nearly falling off his seat. He laughed so loud that the guy in charge of the ride turned back to give them an odd look.

Jason frowned. “What's so funny?”

Nico continued to laugh. When he saw Jason's face, he calmed down slightly, wiping at his eyes. “Sorry, sorry. But it's just funny. Well, I mean, I guess I could see how you could think that, but Luke and I are definitely not dating.” Nico chuckled and shook his head. “Don't get me wrong, we both considered it once upon a time, but we both agreed that we didn't want to possibly harm our friendship. Luke and Percy are my oldest friends, and Luke is just less oblivious than Percy is.”

Jason's mouth fell open. Nico was single? Or was he? There was still the matter of Percy. “But you two are so...”

“Affectionate?” Nico arched a brow. Jason nodded. Nico shrugged. “Just how we've always been. After my mother died, Luke and I became even closer than we had been, and I suppose we do sometimes go borderline couple. I'm also aware that people at school think we're a couple.” He rolled his eyes. “No, Luke and I are just really good friends.”

Jason swallowed a lump in his throat. “So, it's not a guy?”

Nico chewed on his lip, but shook his head. “I just don't think it's a good idea. I'm sorry.” When he caught sight of the dejected look on Jason's face, Nico nudged his shoulder. “Hey, we can still be friends. I mean, you're willing to talk to me, and who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth?”

Jason managed a smile. “I guess I can take that.”

As the wagon was pulled out of the woods, Nico smiled at him. “You going to be okay?”

Jason jumped off the wagon once it had come to a stop. As the rest of their group headed towards them, Jason smiled at Nico and nodded. “Yeah, no need to make things awkward.”

Nico nodded and jumped down beside him. Luke smiled as he came to stand next to Nico, tossing his arm around the boy. Before Jason might have thought differently, but now he knew better. “So, how was your ride?”

Nico looked across their group, at Percy. The brown-eyed boy chewed on his lip. “It went well. Nothing terrifying, though I feel slightly disappointed that they didn't feature burning witches,” the boy grinned.

Thalia nodded sagely. “True, very true. It's just not a festival in this town without some blatant hatred towards us.” Her electric blue eyes shot open wide and she took off towards one of the food stand. “Cotton candy!” The girl called back to them.

“You owe me one!” Percy called out as he chased after her.

Luke sighed and shook his head, motioning for the group to follow after the two. As they walked, Luke leaned in to whisper in Nico's ear, while slipping his hands into his back pockets. Nico rolled his eyes and looked away, shaking his head. The blond mumbled something about “fine”.

“I'll tell you later,” Nico whispered, which Jason did manage to catch.

“So, how was the hayride?” Leo asked, coming up beside Jason.

“Oh, uh, it was fine.” Jason flashed a smile. “Nothing real exciting.”

The Latino boy gave a slight nod. “Sucks you two didn't get to ride with us. I'm sure it was very boring.” Leo smirked. “Then again, I suppose you can't expect much liveliness from anything put on by this town.”

Jason's eyes roamed in front of him, where Nico was walking. The boy had his head turned slightly to observe them. Leo tossed the boy a wave and Nico narrowed his eyes, shooting his friend a warning glare.

“Someone's grumpy tonight,” Leo chuckled. The raven haired boy returned his gaze to Jason, where he wagged his eyebrows once. “So, looks like he's been warming up to you finally.”

“Yeah,” Jason said, managing a smile.

“Not an easy task, man, let me tell you.” Leo placed his hands behind his head, seemingly oblivious to the stupid grin plastered onto Jason's face.

When they got to Thalia and Percy, she was doing her best to keep Percy away from the cotton candy she had acquired. Luke just rolled his eyes at the sight of them. Reyna walked up and purchased a candy apple, which she gave to Leo as she whispered something in his ear.

Leo's cheeks flared up as he took the apple, bobbing his head energetically. “Hey, Perce,” Leo called out. Percy arched a brow at his friend. “You want to help me make a pumpkin?”

“Not real-Ah!” Percy stumbled as Leo dragged him off towards the pile of pumpkins towards the center of the festival with Reyna in tow.

Annabeth cleared her throat and nudged Luke. “You want to accompany us to go check in on the others? Better make sure they're all right?”

Luke glanced at Nico for a second. “But-”

“Great!” Thalia exclaimed. The raven haired girl waved Nico off casually. “Nico's a big boy, right, Nico?”

“Um, yeah.” The boy glanced up at Jason. “You won't be long?” He asked Luke.

“We'll just do a quick round,” the blond assured him before the two girls managed to drag him off.

Jason shifted his weight as he watched the three disappear into the crowd of people. The others had not been lying when they had told him that the entire town would probably be there. With a quick glance to Nico, he found the boy glaring at where the others had gone.

“So, you want anything?” Jason decided to ask.

Nico blinked and looked up at him. “No, I'm okay.”

“Do you mind if I get anything?”

Nico shook his head and waited in line beside Jason. The blond let out a long yawn, which got the shorter boy to look at him again. “Didn't get enough sleep there, Sleeping Beauty?”

“So you do think I'm attractive,” Jason replied with a cocky grin. Nico just rolled his eyes. The blue-eyed boy simply shrugged. “Just been having trouble sleeping lately.” No need to tell him about... whatever that was last night. To put it simply, Jason did not want to look crazy to one of his friends. “You wouldn't believe me if I told you.”

Without batting an eyelash, Nico replied, “Try me.” The kid looked so serious, like there was simply nothing Jason could say to him that would surprise him.

Even so, that did not mean it was best to tell Nico. The guy probably expected something like Jason missed home, or something along those line. How was he supposed to say that he woke up to a corpse woman standing on top of him in the middle of the night? Not really the best line of conversation. And in this town, sounding crazy did not seem like the best idea.

After buying a stick of cotton candy, Jason let Nico lead him around the festival. They managed to get a few stares, but it was not unexpected by this point. Over the past month, Jason got used to the odd looks he would get just by being with Nico and the others.

“I don't think I'll ever understand this town,” Jason admitted. He let out a quick sigh. “It just doesn't seem fair, or right.”

Nico just shrugged, kicking at a twig in front of his foot. “And since when was life ever fair? But we survived, and that's what matters.”

“They get away with murder.” Jason frowned down at the boy. How could Nico be so calm about these things? “Why not fight back? I mean, I thought you guys owned most of the town? Isn't there something you can do?”

“It's not like that,” Nico whispered. “You don't understand.”

“They killed your mother,” Jason hissed.

Nico glared at Jason. “You don't think I know that?” The brown-eyed boy growled. “Medea openly hates them, and nearly broke Khione's arm two years ago. My father nearly caused every family involved in her murder to go broke. You think we just sit back and take it all?”

“Sorry,” the taller of the two mumbled. “I just... I don't like that they pretty much get away with all this.”

Nico's eyes refused to look up from the ground. “I wouldn't say they get away with it,” he mumbled. For some reason, Jason felt like there was more to the story that what Nico had told him.

“Um, so different subject?” Jason offered Nico a small smile as an apology. Nico just rolled his eyes. “Do you like it here?”

Nico eyed him warily. “What kind of question is that?” When Jason just shrugged, Nico continued. “I guess. I mean, it would be better if the people weren't as barbaric.” Nico finally smiled. “And what about you? Eager to get out of this place?”

Jason shrugged. “Sort of. I mean, I have met some pretty cool people here.” The two stared at each other, just smiling. Nico was the first to break the silence by clearing his throat, his cheeks turning a little pink. “I think you're pretty cool.”

“Do you even care how corny you sound?” Nico asked with a smirk. Pinching off a piece of Jason's cotton candy, Nico stuffed it in his mouth. “But on a more serious note, is the reason you told Luke you didn't like anyone because you thought we were dating?”

Jason felt his ears start to burn. Clearing his throat, the boy slipped a piece of cotton candy into his mouth.

“Uh-huh,” Nico said smugly. “Well then, I suppose that's all the answer I need.” A small chuckle escaped the boy's lips. “Maybe you're a little cute when you're embarrassed.” More laughter came from Nico's mouth.

It was like a sweet melody, listening to Nico laugh. Jason could probably listen to it every day, and still not get tired of it. He only wished the boy would do it more often. “I like it when you smile, you should do it more often.” Jason's eyes went wide and he covered his mouth. “Uh, sorry.”

Nico just smiled and shook his head. “Jason Grace, I have to wonder if you weren't born in the south, because you could totally pass for a southern gentleman.”

Jason felt a little sad from that comment. It just reminded him of his earlier thoughts of wishing he could have been raised in one of these families. Maybe then things between him and Nico could have been different. But he still did not fully understand why Nico turned him down, if it was not Luke.

“Looks like the little witch has decided to charm another helpless boy.”

Nico stiffened at the sound of the feminine voice behind them. Jason and Nico both turned to find Khione, Eros, Octavian, and Dylan. Khione sneered at Nico, like he were some foul vermin that she wished to be rid of. And she probably did. If she had her way, Jason had no doubt that she'd have all of the members of the disliked families run out of town.

Octavian had his nose tilted up as his cold blue eyes glanced between Jason and Nico. “Jason, you shouldn't associate yourself with people like this one. If you don't watch out, he might turn you gay.”

Jason frowned at the group. “And?” Without even bothering to think about it, Jason grabbed Nico's hand. “Besides, I'm already bisexual. Can't turn what's already that way.”

Nico looked at him in a mixture of shock and awe. And he was not the only one shocked. Khione, Dylan, and Octavian all stared at the blond in utter surprise. Eros was different, his eyebrows shot into the air. Like something clicked in his mind. The only thing funny, though, was when Dylan leaned in to Octavian and whispered, “What's bisexual?”

Octavian rolled his eyes and elbowed the tall jock. “It means that we're going to have to pray for Jason, because the little witch has beguiled him.”

“I'm impressed you know what that word means,” Nico mumbled, which earned him a glare from the blond. Even though he had given them lip, Jason could tell Nico was tense. The boy's hands were balled into fists at his side, and he stood up straighter than Jason had ever seen him.

However, out of everyone, Khione seemed bothered by Nico the least, save for Eros. Sure she seemed to loathe him, but there did not seem to be an ounce of fear in her. “What you going to do, drag us into the woods and sacrifice us like you probably did my father?”

Nico stretched his fingers, glaring back at the girl. “No one killed your father.” The boy's eyes looked practically black in the dim lighting. “He probably ran off to get away from your bitch of a mother, or perhaps got tired of listening to you.”

While the others seemed to begin to fidget, Khione stood her ground. “I'm not dumb. And how dare you talk about my mother like that?” She shrieked. “It's your family's fault that he even took up drinking, what with all the bills that suddenly got put on us.”

The brown-eyed boy scoffed. “Please, I'm not going to feel sorry for you. If anything, I do wish your father was dead, for what he helped do to my mother. But none of us killed him, nor would I waste my energy to try and do so.” The boy rolled his shoulders and let out a breath, seemingly relaxing. “Contrary to popular belief, we don't abduct people for any rituals.”

“Aha!” Dylan exclaimed. “He admitted that they do have rituals.”

Khione rolled her eyes. “Shut up, Dylan, that's not what he meant.” The girl raised a hand to point one of her nails in Jason's direction. “You-”

Before she could finish, Jason stepped in between her and Nico. “I think you guys should go. He wasn't bothering anything before you showed up, and I'd like it if you left him alone.”

Eros let out a breath, finally breaking his silence. “Come on, guys, we shouldn't cause trouble at the festival.” He flashed a smile over to Jason and Nico. “Besides, they helped me get out of the maze when I got lost.”

Khione's neck snapped around so fast, Jason thought she might get whiplash. “What?” She demanded.

Eros seemed to realize his mistake. “Um, well... I got lost and couldn't find you guys, and they found me.”

“And you're still alive?” Dylan asked.

“Yes...” Eros sighed.

Khione and Jason glared at each other in silence for a long, uncomfortable moment. The girl finally huffed and crossed her arms. “Fine, but I'm going to tell Kinzie I don't think you should sit with any of us at lunch. In my opinion, if you want to throw yourself in with these devil worshipers, then you don't need to be around us. An you...” She turned to narrow her gaze at Eros. “Wait until your father hears about this.”

The color had drained from Eros's face as he followed after Khione. “You can't tell him!” Octavian quickly demanded. It was strange, because Jason usually saw the two boys bickering, but Octavian was adamant that Khione not tell Eros's father that he had been around Nico.

When Jason looked back at Nico, the boy's eyes were hidden behind his bangs. The blond tilted his head to the side to get a better look at the other boy. Nico was frowning down at the ground, fear evident in his eyes. “You okay?” Jason whispered.

“You shouldn't have gotten involved,” Nico mumbled. He shook his head and began looking around. “I shouldn't have even said anything, it's just going to make things worse.”

The blue-eyed boy shook his head. “They're bullying you, and that's not right. I'm not going to let them do that.”

Nico sighed and looked up at Jason with a dull look. “Why couldn't Luke have been wrong about you?” He grumbled before heading off in a random direction.

Jason blinked and chased after the boy. “What's that supposed to mean?”

Nico did not bother stopping, so Jason had to keep a fast pace to stay at his side. The brown-eyed boy was searching for something. Probably Luke and the others, Jason figured. He seemed very tense as he walked with diligence.

“Luke might have told me about you on the first day you moved here,” Nico finally answered. Glancing over his shoulder, he stopped and faced Jason. “He just said that an attractive guy had moved to town, and that he wasn't an ignorant Christian like everyone else in this town.”

“You know, I sometimes wonder if you hate all Christians.”

Nico glared. “Really? You're going to focus on that?” He sighed. “I don't hate all of them, just the closed-minded loons we have in this town.” Jason flinched when Nico noticed him smiling. “Are you even listening?”

In truth, Jason had drifted back to what Nico had originally said about Luke telling Nico about him. But given the look on Nico's face, it might not have been a good idea to let him know that. So, instead, Jason just shook his head.

Nico let out a sigh, his shoulders finally relaxing. “It's sort of ironic, I suppose. The guy you were worried about me being in a relationship with was the guy that was trying to convince me to give you a chance.” Nico shook his head and muttered something under his breath before pushing his way through a crowd of people.

“Wait, Nico!” Jason called out after him. He attempted to follow after him, but the boy was moving fast through the crowds. When he got the chance, Jason reached out and grabbed the boy's wrist.

Where Nico once stood was a seven foot tall goat man. And not like a satyr, with the head and upper body of a man, but an actual figure that looked like a goat. It stood tall like a man, but the head was clearly a goat. Its eyes were as black as night, and the horns on its head were long and pointed at the tips. His fur was brown like the dirt, while its body was covered in a robe made of leaves. The only human-like part of the thing's body were its hands, which were pale and without fur. It stood there, staring at Jason with its dark eyes, on large cloven hooves. In its right hand was a large tree branch.

Everything seemed so lifeless and empty around Jason. No one was surrounding him anymore, and the world was absolutely silent. Jason raised a hand to his ear. A loud ringing in his head had started, like a drill was working its way into his brain.

Jason was pulled back to reality when Nico jerked his arm away. Jason stumbled backwards, which caught Nico's attention. The boy stopped and reached out, grabbing Jason's wrist. Nico's hand was so warm. “Are you okay?” He asked.

It took Jason a second, but he nodded. “Just... feeling a little dizzy.”

Nico pursed his lips, reaching a hand up to feel Jason's forehead. “Well, let's find Luke. I think we should probably head home now.”

It wasn't too hard to find Luke, they only had to follow the sound of shrieking. When Jason and Nico arrived, they found Khione flailing about, while Octavian and Dylan attempted to pry a caramel apple out of her hair. Jason and Nico stepped up beside Luke.

“Um, what's going on?” Nico asked.

Luke glanced at them briefly. “Just letting the twins have a little fun before I step in.” He smirked at Nico. “Sounded like they had already bumped into you, so I figured I could ignore the situation for a little bit.”

The twins were holding each other up while they laughed. “It slipped, I promise,” Travis cackled in Khione's direction.

When Luke finally shook his head and stepped in, he grabbed the two and pulled them away. Just in time too, as quite a few people were looking very angry. On their way to the cars, Percy bumped fists with the twins.

“That was awesome, guys,” Leo told the two troublemakers.

When they arrived, Jason noticed someone missing. “Where's Annabeth?”

Thalia sat on the hood of the van. “Had to go to the bathroom.”

“I'll go fetch her,” Hazel offered before Luke could even say anything. The blond mumbled a thanks as the short girl took off.

Luke nudged Nico, who seemed to be deep in thought. The blond nodded his head over to some bushes. Nico seemed hesitant at first, but reluctantly followed his friend over to where they could talk in private. Nico sat down on the grass, soon to be joined by Luke.

Jason looked down at the nearly finished stick of cotton candy in his hand. Looking around, Jason spotted a trash can not far away. The only problem was that it was also not far away from where Luke was talking to Nico. Was it wrong of him to be slightly curious about what they were discussing? Given the events of the night, Jason figured there were only two real options: the hayride or Nico's encounter with Khione.

To say the least, curiosity got the better of him. Jason tossed his trash in the garbage, but remained close to where Luke and Nico were. Acting casual, he sat down on a wooden post that acted as a border between the parking lot and the grass.

Luck seemed to be on his side as Nico and Luke were not really whispering, but just talking in lowered voices. It still allowed Jason to hear the conversation, but kept him at a distance where it did not look like he was intentionally listening in.

“Why did you tell him that?” Luke sighed. “That's not what you told me.”

Nico picked at some grass, a sad look covering his face. “I know, I know. But he doesn't need to know that I like him. It would just be better for the both of us if we stayed as friends.”

Luke arched a brow. “Better for the both of you, or just you? He's a good guy, Nico, you should give him the chance. He's not going to hurt you like Alabaster did, and he's the first guy I've practically ever seen you look at the way you do.”

Nico let out a long sigh, tossing the grass he had been plucking at to the side. “Don't say anything, please.” Sad brown eyes glanced up at his blond friend. “It's just better if nothing comes of it.”

“Why?”

Jason wanted to know the answer as well. Luke seemed a little frustrated, so at least Jason was not the only one lost by Nico's confession. He figured this should be good news, but with Nico's answer from earlier, it did not feel as such.

Nico hung his head, casting his eyes into shadows. “I don't want to die heartbroken over him.”

What? That made no sense.

Unlike Jason, though, Luke seemed to catch on to what Nico was saying. The blond gave a small nod. “Oh. I see.”

Nico just shook his head. Pushing his bangs to the side, he glanced over to where Jason sat. Probably under the impression that Jason could not hear him, he said, “We're too different, several worlds apart. He and I can never be truly together.”

Jason's heart sank into his stomach. He was not sure which he preferred, being lied to that Nico didn't like him, or the truth that Nico did like him and just refused to act on his feelings. Which was really better, knowing the truth or believing the lie?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was a pretty long chapter. Twenty-six pages, actually. I did skim over it mostly while editing, so there might be an error here or there. Next chapter is where things will start to kick off more, as it is the Halloween chapter.


	9. Samhain

October turned out to be a bad month for Jason. Looking back on it, he had to wonder if he had not hurt every inch of his body in some way over the course of the month. It had started by stubbing his toe one morning as he got out of the shower, which had led to him tripping and falling into the bathroom door. After a black cat had crossed his path one afternoon and he nearly got hit on the head by a tree branch, Jason was starting to wonder if there was any truth to superstitions.

But it was not just him. No, quite a few people in town seemed to be sharing in his month of misfortune. Several kids at school had to go to the doctor, and some even to the hospital. Jason had recognized one of the kids—who had broken his leg falling down the stairs at school—as the boy that had dumped eggs on Nico's head two months ago. Jason did not feel sorry for him.

Even Mrs. Dodds had to be taken to the doctor after, as quoted by Kinzie, “explosive diarrhea in the middle of church” one morning. However, the town did not seem to brush it off as easily as Jason. Several kids, including Luke and Percy, had ended up getting into fights at school. Frank had nearly broken a kid's arm after he had slammed Leo into a locker. Jason didn't even know Frank was capable of violence!

And today was no different, as he tripped on the grass and nearly banged his head on the side of his car. The boy hissed as he felt a sharp burning sensation explode from his hands from where they had made impact with the concrete. Cursing quietly, the blond stumbled to his car and climbed in before inspecting his hands. There was definitely red marks and some cut skin, but thankfully no blood. Seriously, who had he pissed off in a past life? This was just ridiculous.

Jason spotted a mother carrying her child from a nearby house, the child dressed as a cowboy. Today was Halloween, which made Jason uneasy. Halloween meant pranks and mischief, which only made him nervous in this town. He wondered if Nico and the others would even try to come to school today, what with all the hostility towards them this month and the holiday.

It seemed they all did feel adventurous today, as Jason walked into the lunchroom and found Luke and the others sitting at their usual table, waiting for classes to begin for the day. Jason sat down across from Luke, who had his feet kicked up on the table in front of Nico. The pale boy shot the blond a dirty look as he attempted to read Hamlet, which was probably for class. Jason had just finished The Crucible for Ms. Hestia's class, and was waiting to get back the paper he wrote for it today.

Jason quickly found himself staring at Nico, who had dressed up for the holiday. It seemed he was going for a blatant statement on what the town thought of all of them with his devil costume. It was kind of hot, Jason thought. The boy had on tight, black leather pants and a blood red shirt with the sleeves cut off. There was even a tear across the chest, revealing a hint of the boy's pale skin. It also looked like he was wearing mascara, judging by the dark lines around his red eyes. Yes, red. The boy had also put in some red contact lenses, which was even more hot. Red devil horns and a spiked tail finished off the boy's attire.

“May I help you?” Nico mumbled, flipping the page of his book and not even bothering to look up to meet Jason's gaze.

The blond in question coughed and looked down at the table, sliding his finger across the surface in a circular pattern. “Just admiring your current attire. I like the statement.”

The corner of Nico's lips tilted up as his enticing eyes scanned his current page. Jason was not going to be having an easy time in class today. Nico finally closed his book and leaned forward, resting his arms on Luke's legs. “I see you didn't dress for the holiday,” Nico commented.

Jason chuckled and looked down at himself. “Left all my old costumes back in California, and been a little preoccupied to go looking for a new one.” He shrugged. “I dressed up as Superman last year.”

“Figures,” Nico sighed as he slid his book into his backpack. “It's fitting, I suppose.”

Luke chuckled and glanced at Nico, his eyes shining in amusement. “You've had some pretty bad luck there, Jay.” Nico shot him a dirty look for that comment.

“You look like shit,” came Drew's loving comment for the day. She currently was applying a coat of paint to her already perfect nails.

Ignoring her, Jason turned back to the others. “So, got any plans for the holiday?”

Luke opened his mouth to answer, but Percy beat him to it. “Yes,” he replied simply. The green-eyed boy chewed on a biscuit, seemingly not even paying attention to the conversation at hand as he played on his 3DS. Luke frowned down at the guy, but Percy didn't even seem to notice when he looked up to pick up a grape and toss it in his mouth.

It was something that Jason had been seeing as of late. Percy's say in what went on in their group seemed to be final. At first, Jason had thought Luke was the one that had been more in charge, but whenever the two butted heads, Percy always won. Luke usually still gave him hell about it, as would Reyna or Annabeth, but they didn't tend to push issues after Percy had made his mind up.

Not that things did not go on behind the green-eyed boy's back. Nico had come over last week to drop off a few books, against Percy's wishes. Nico would never tell him why Percy even objected in the first place, as Percy and Jason usually got along pretty well, but all Nico had said was, “He's just being dumb.” Nico just rationalized that they did not have to tell Percy about his visits.

“Hey, Jason,” Kinzie said as she stopped at their table, making sure to stick close to where Jason sat. “So, um, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the town's haunted house with me tonight? It'll be a lot of fun.”

“Um, maybe.” Jason chewed on his lip, glancing at the others at his table. Well, it was not like they were going to be doing anything that involved him. “I mean, I guess I could.”

Kinzie beamed at him, bouncing on her heels. “Great! I'll swing by after dinner to pick you up.” She turned on her heels and hurried off.

Jason turned around in his seat to find a lot of unpleasant looks being shot in his direction. Annabeth and Luke were mildly indifferent, but the rest did not seem very pleased with his decision. Even Nico had stopped in his reading to give Kinzie a dirty look as she walked away. After she was gone, Nico's red eyes narrowed at Jason.

Medea snorted. “That'll be fun for for him, I'm sure.”

The bell rang before Jason could defend himself. He hung his head with a groan as the table all left him. Why was it so hard to understand that he just wanted to felt like he belonged? Somewhere, anywhere.

Once he was seated in his first class, Jason turned to Annabeth and Malcolm. “So, um, you guys don't want to go to that haunted house, do you?”

Annabeth snorted, unpacking her Calculus book. “I'm sure that would go over well.”

“That's an understatement,” Malcolm mumbled.

The blonde girl shook her head in amusement. “I think we'll pass. And, as Percy said, we have plans for tonight.”

“Oh.” Jason tried to hide his disappointment, but was sure he did not pull it off very well. If he sucked at one thing, it was hiding when he was depressed. “All right, well, I guess I'll just let you know how it goes.”

Annabeth gave him a lopsided smile right before Mrs. Nakamura cleared her throat to begin class. Jason had the feeling that this was going to be a long day.

And how right he was. Calculus had dragged on forever, and Nemesis had no problem assigning five pages of homework to complete by tomorrow. The woman had to have a sadistic side, Jason decided as he walked to Home Economics.

In the hallway, Jason came to a stop when he spotted two familiar heads. Percy closed his locker rather harshly, glaring at Nico, who was talking at him rather animatedly, his face slightly red. Percy kind of looked like he wanted to wring Nico's neck. Jason slipped closer.

“I'm just worried. Can you blame me?” Percy's brow furrowed as he studied Nico's indifferent face. “You know as well as I do that, sooner or later, it'll happen. Do you really want to risk getting burned that badly?”

Crossing his arms, Nico kicked at the carpet. “Maybe it's not like that. It's been months and there have not been any-”

“You were on my side!” Percy whined. “It's no fair if you go and change sides like that.”

“I get where you are coming from, I do. I've been hesitant.” Nico tucked some of his hair behind his ear as a group of students passed. Nico glared when one gave him the finger. “We would have noticed something by now. I mean, don't you find that strange?”

Percy just shrugged. “Annabeth says that people are occasionally immune.”

“Which is my point.”

“Just... let me be a little cautious, okay? I want to keep everyone safe. Plus, I already said-”

Nico interrupted the green-eyed boy this time. “And you can say you changed your mind, the others won't question your judgment.”

Percy leaned against his locker, still frowning. The taller of the two seemed to be considering what Nico said. “Fine, but only because you asked. I like him, I really do, but we've never had anyone try to be this nice to us and mean it. Not even Hestia or Chiron.” Percy's mood visibly relaxed when Nico smiled. “Still, you can't go tonight. I've already had everything set up, and I would like everyone to be there tonight.” Nico quirked a brow at him. Percy waved him off. “Aside from our parents, they have their own engagements tonight. Even Thalia is coming in.”

Nico patted Percy's cheek with a smirk. “Thank you. I'll call you later.”

When Nico had turned around, Percy smiled brightly. He sighed and zipped his backpack before heading in the opposite direction. Jason would never come to like how the hallway spread like the Red Sea for any of them as they walked.

It was not until Jason was actually in class with Nico that he truly realized how tight the boy's pants were. As Nico leaned forward to straighten out their table, Jason could not help but to lean back and admire the view. He was not much for religion, but it should be considered a sin for Nico to wear those things.

Nico cleared his throat. Jason quickly raised his eyes, his cheeks flaring up. Nico quirked a brow at him. “Can I help you, or do I need to let the teacher know that you had to run to the bathroom to take care of some things?” The boy tapped his fingers on their table as he waited for Jason's response.

The blue-eyed boy coughed, not meeting Nico's gaze. “Um, no, that's all right. I'm good.”

Nico slowly nodded. “Uh-huh. Well, I could always send you some pics later without these pants on.”

Jason's eyes widened. “Really?” He asked, probably slightly too excitedly.

Nico rolled his eyes. “No, you moron. I find your chances of seeing me without clothes slightly abysmal.”

“Only slightly?” The blond grinned. “I'll take those odds.”

Nico rolled his eyes again as he went back to setting up their table, though a small smile now graced his lips. “You are insufferable,” he mumbled.

Class began shortly after that, though if the teacher went over anything new, Jason could not say. For some odd reason, it was like there was a gravitational pull on his eyes towards Nico's ass. Although, if Nico noticed again, the boy did not comment on it or make Jason focus. Which was fine by Jason, because he was enjoying the view.

When class was finished and the two partners were cleaning up their station, they found themselves with a very unwelcome guest. “So,” Khione began, “I couldn't help but overhearing you two at the beginning of class.” The girl addressed both of them, but primarily stared at Nico with a distasteful glare. “I suppose it really is true that you turned yet another boy gay. What, did you charm him?”

Nico did not let the girl slow him down in cleaning up their table. “For your information, you mindless twit, I did not turn Luke gay. And he is bisexual, not that I'd be surprised if you could even fathom the difference. Contrary to popular belief, we are not dating. Not that it would matter to any of you, since you wouldn't date him either way, simply because of who he is.”

The girl scoffed. “Now that's just unfair. As we said about Apollo before he graduated, all you have to do is confess your sins and come into the Lord's loving embrace. But you and the rest of your lot are too far into your sin to ever be able to get redemption.”

“If by redemption, you mean hanging us from the nearest tree,” Nico mumbled. Khione glared at him. “There's nothing going on between Jason or myself, either.”

Khione flipped her hair over her shoulder, finally turning to face the blond in question. “It's not too late for you, though, Jason. We all talked it over, and we really do hope you decide to come to church. These people,” she said, motioning to Nico, “are only going to lead you to Satan.”

Jason had been packing up his bag while he listened to the two bicker. “Well then, hail Satan,” he chuckled. When Khione did not look amused, he shrugged. “I don't particularly believe in any higher deity, whether it be good or evil. But I do think you're being unreasonable with people that haven't done anything to you that you haven't deserved.”

Khione looked taken aback. She closed her mouth and straightened her shoulder. “You better be thankful I haven't told Kinzie about your so called 'bisexuality'.”

The taller of the two boys simply shrugged. “And? Kinzie and I are just friends.”

“Does she know that?” Khione asked, tapping her nails against the table. “But, then again, I'm sure it's just a phase. You should come pray about it in church.”

“No thanks,” Jason said dully. “After coming here, I find myself reminded at why Christians have such a bad rep these days. Because people like you don't focus on what the real message Jesus talked about was. Love.”

There was a dark look in Khione's eyes as she glared up at Jason. “Well, maybe I was wrong about you. Perhaps there is no saving your soul from hellfire.” She sneered as she turned to leave. “Have fun tonight, and I'll be having a word with Kinzie by this time tomorrow.”

“Don't care,” Jason mumbled as the girl disappeared out the door.

Nico blinked at him. “I really don't think I'll ever understand you,” the boy muttered. Jason tilted his head to the side. “You're just,” Nico motioned to all of Jason, “you. You're attractive... Stop smiling, you asshole.” He sighed. “You're attractive, you're not intolerant, you put up with these people, you talk to us, and you're smarter than you look.”

Jason frowned. “Hey!”

Nico rolled his eyes. “My point is, I figured you'd want to fit in with the other kids around here, not go on a social suicide mission to hangout with us.”

Jason smiled and slung his backpack over his shoulder. “Well, maybe I think you guys are the 'cool kids'.” He gave Nico a small wave before leaving the boy standing there, dumbfounded.

Everything seemed fine, for the most part, until lunch came around. Jason did not think much about it at the time, but perhaps he really should have. It was not until Bianca brought it up that he got slightly worried. The girl put down her fork and looked over to Luke. “Have you seen Nico?” She asked.

The blond's brow knitted together and he pursed his lips. “I figured he was in the library, or something.” Percy, Luke, Reyna, and Bianca were out of their seats in the next instant. “We'll be right back,” Luke told the table.

Medea sighed and sat down her drink. She stood up and slid her black sleeves up her arms. “I'll be back as well,” she muttered.

Without being addressed to go help look, Jason stood up and jogged after Medea. “You think he's in trouble?”

Now, Jason had not talked much with Medea since he moved into town. The few times he did, he was usually met by blank stares and rude comments. He was beginning to think that it ran in their family. But this time, the girl simply grunted at him, picking up the pace to catch up to the other four.

Luke threw open the door to the boys' restroom, instantly being greeted by shouts from within. The blond's face heated up from anger and his fists clenched at his sides. Before Reyna could get a hold on the blond, Luke had barged into the restroom.

“Hey! What the fuck is this?” Came Luke's angry voice.

Reyna cringed from the sheer sound of Luke's temper. Rolling her eyes, Medea shoved past the girl and went in after the blond. “What the hell have you done to my cousin?” She shouted. Jason and the others were inside the restroom in the next second.

Nico was on the floor, a hand to his nose to try and stop the blood from gushing out. There was a dark bruise on the boy's forehead, though Jason could only imagine how the bullies had given it to the boy. Bianca was at her brother's side before Jason could blink, checking him over. She held onto him, shielding him from any further abuse that might come his way.

Not that the bullies were in any position to really inflict further injury on Nico. Luke had tossed one boy into a stall, where Medea was currently flushing his head in the toilet. With a swift punch to the jaw, Luke sent another boy—who looked like he could be on the football team—to the floor with his own bloody nose.

Percy had a guy that Jason recognized from the baseball team pinned against the wall. Zethes was his name, if Jason remembered correctly. It did not look like the raven haired boy was going to do much else, until Percy drew back and sent his fist into the boy's ribs. Zethes fell to the floor, wheezing for breath and holding his sides.

Reyna narrowed her eyes at the last of the boys, who looked like he might make a run for it. She cracked her knuckles. “Don't even think about it.”

But he did, and Jason and Reyna grabbed him as he ran past. Jason jerked him loose of Reyna and slammed the boy down hard on the tile floor, knocking the breath out of the large boy. Glaring down at the boy, Reyna pressed her foot to his neck.

Rubbing his knuckles, Luke crouched down next to Bianca and Nico. “Is he okay?” The blond whispered.

Bianca did not look up from Nico. “I think so. His nose isn't broken, thankfully.” She frowned and attempted to lift her brother's shirt, who quickly shoved her hand away.

“I'm fine,” Nico muttered. He tried to stand to his feet, but did get very far in that.

Just then, the door flew open and in came Ms. Hestia. “What is going on in here?” She demanded.

“Nothing that we couldn't handle,” Medea answered, swiping a thumb across her lips.

The teacher did not seem amused. “Does anyone have a real answer for me?”

One of the boys beat the others to it. “They dragged us in here to beat us up.”

“Yeah, right,” Reyna muttered. The girl went to try and punch the guy, but Hestia caught her arm. “Sorry.”

Ms. Hestia sighed. “James, I somehow doubt that's what happened. Now, does anyone want to try again.” Her eyes fell to Nico. “Nico? Would you like to tell me?”

The boy pulled his hand away from his nose, inspecting the blood he found on his hand. “Not really, ma'am.”

“We found these guys in here bullying Nico,” Jason offered. Nico glared at him.

The teacher nodded. “I see.” She motioned to Nico. “Jason, would you help Bianca get him to the principal's office? Get Ms. Mellie to call his stepmother to pick him up.” She pointed to the others in the room. “As for the rest of you, you're going to come with me to see Chiron.”

After they were gone, Jason put Nico's arm around his shoulders to help Bianca carry Nico to the office. Nico glared at him still. “Why'd you have to say anything?”

“Because they didn't deserve to get away with it, or have it pinned on you.” Jason gave the boy a look that let Nico know he wasn't going to argue about this. Miraculously, it worked.

“Thank you,” Bianca whispered. Nico narrowed his eyes at her, but Bianca ignored him. “You didn't have to get involved.”

Jason shook his head. “It wasn't any trouble.” He frowned. “But why the principal's office? Why not the nurse?”

Bianca chuckled. “Ms. Mellie is technically the school's nurse. She's qualified, if you doubt her capabilities.” She shrugged. “Apollo and Artemis's mother used to be the school nurse, but she passed away back when I was still pretty young. Not that the town liked it very much. The school board tried to have her removed, but Chiron would not let it stand. He's a breath of fresh air in this nightmare of a town.”

The rest of the trip down the hall was rather quiet. Jason kept looking over at Nico, who was still holding his nose. It did not make him happy, seeing the boy like this, but the most he could do was already done. Unless he wanted to catch Zethes after practice, but that would probably get Jason in trouble. And since it seemed like none of the people helping Nico were getting in trouble, Jason felt it best to leave it alone for now.

Jason held the door open to the school's office and Bianca helped her brother inside. Hestia must have just gotten the others to the office, as the door was closed just as they entered. Ms. Mellie looked up from her desk, her eyes widening slightly at the sight of Nico.

“Oh my, I suppose this is the result of the fight they were just talking about,” she said as she stood to her feet and bounced over to a small sink they had in the office. Wetting a rag, she came to stand in front of Nico. The boy in the chair let her lift his head and wipe away the blood that had dripped down to his lips and chin.

While this was going on, Bianca had already tasked herself with picking up the phone they kept on the edge of the counter for student use. Jason could hear her talking to someone, but he kept his attention on Nico. His eyes watched as the secretary brushed the wet cloth against the boy's lips, removing all traces of blood from Nico's pale lips. When he looked up slightly, Jason found Nico watching him as the woman tended to his injuries. Neither boy said anything, nor did Nico even bother to roll his eyes. He just let Jason stand there, staring at him.

Bianca hung up the phone just as Ms. Mellie was finishing cleaning Nico's face up and checking his bruises. Unlike with Bianca, Nico let the woman inspect his chest. Jason winced when he saw a dark circular bruise just below the boy's ribs.

Bianca sat down next to her brother. “How is he?”

Ms. Mellie gathered her things from where she had put them down and moved back over to her desk to give the trio some room. It was always nice to seem someone nice in this town, without the fear and paranoia. But, then again, Jason did not think it was possible for Ms. Mellie to have a single mean bone in her body. She was just so nice. “He'll be fine,” the woman finally announced. “His bruises will heal after a few days, and nothing was broken.”

Bianca nodded and turned to look at her brother. “Persephone will be here shortly to pick you up,” she said, brushing a few strands of hair out of her brother's face. “I can stay, if you want, and wait for her to get here.”

Nico shook his head. “No, you should get back to lunch.”

“But-”

“I'll stay with him.”

Both di Angelo siblings stared up at Jason. The boy fidgeted under their dark stares. Even when they weren't angry, those eyes could pierce like knives. Bianca seemed to contemplate this, turning to her brother. Nico glared at her.

Jason shrugged. “I don't mind, really.”

Nico finally sighed. “Sure, whatever.”

Jason smiled and took a seat on the other side of the di Angelo boy. Bianca gave Jason a smile before kissing her brother's head and standing up. “Thanks, Jason.” She pointed a finger to her brother. “Behave yourself, and tell Persephone to text me if she needs me.”

“I'm sure we can manage,” Nico grumbled.

When Bianca was gone, Jason let his eyes fall on the boy next to him. “If you're okay, what would you need help with?”

Nico snapped his head in Jason's direction, narrowing his eyes. With those red contacts, Jason was not sure if he should be intimidated or aroused. At the moment, he felt more the latter. “Not with me, something else,” Nico finally replied. “I guess since I'm being picked up, I'll be helping our parents set up for tonight.”

Nico rubbed at his neck, which finally drew Jason's attention to another injury. There was a small cut there. By the looks of it, Nico's necklace had either cut him during his scuffle with the bullies, or the bullies had jerked the chain before Luke had interrupted them.

Jason motioned to the boy's chest. “I like your necklace, by the way.”

Nico looked down at his chest and then back up at the blond. “Thanks,” he mumbled. “Family heirloom, been in my family for years.”

“I take it the same applies to everyone else and their families?”

Nico nodded, squeezing the chain. “Just a family crest, no big deal, like you find in a lot of old families.” The boy glanced over to Ms. Millie to see if she was paying attention. She wasn't.

Jason let out a small chuckle, scooting a little closer to Nico. “A skull? Isn't that a little morbid?”

Nico gave Jason a serious look, some of his hair falling into his face. “Do you have a problem with it?”

The blue-eyed boy quickly pursed his lips and shook his head. “Nope, not me. I like it.” Nico eyed him funny. “It looks good on you.”

They fell into a slightly awkward silence after that. A heavy tension had settled between them, and Jason had to wonder if he had crossed a line. He did not mean it to sound like he was insulting Nico's family, because he really wasn't. He had just never really seen a family crest like the one Nico had.

The bell to signal the end of lunch rang out through the school building a little over fifteen minutes later. Nico was staring at the clock by this point, tapping his fingers against his leg. Chiron had dismissed Luke and the others almost five minutes ago, which all of the bullies had taken the opportunity to glare at Nico. Zethes had shot Jason a dirty look before leaving, and Jason figured he'd be hearing about this before or after practice today.

“You need to get to class,” Nico mumbled, not taking his eyes off the clock.

Jason shook his head. “I'm fine.”

Nico rolled his eyes just as the door to the office opened. The woman that had picked Hazel up before came inside, taking her sunglasses off of her beautiful eyes, which Jason could not quite decide what color they were. Her skin was pale, even though she looked like someone who spent most of her time outside working the garden. And her long, black hair flowed behind her, curling at the tips.

Nico frowned when she looked down at him, her fingers still resting on her sunglasses from when she put them on her head. “Well, I suppose it could have been worse,” came her alluring voice. She held out a hand, tilting Nico's chin up. She let out a breath. “We'll see if we can't clean that up better before your father sees.”

Just then, Chiron's door opened and the principal stepped out into the office. “Ah, Mrs. di Angelo.” The man stood up straight, which was very tall, Jason might add. “The bullies which did this to your son have already been suspended and will be tasked with cleaning the restrooms after school for a week upon their return.”

The woman smiled and it was like a ray of sunshine was cast into the room. “Thank you, Chiron.” She patted Nico on the head after the boy stood up. “I suppose I'll need to get this one home then.”

Chiron gave her a nod, bowing slightly. “Have a good day then.”

When Persephone led Nico from the office, Jason followed. “I always liked that man,” Persephone said, “so polite.” She then noticed the blond following them and blinked. “Oh, hello. You must be the new kid in town that has been all the talk.” She smiled and held out her hand. “Persephone di Angelo.”

Jason shook her hand. She was really pretty. Nico glared over at him, and Jason got the feeling that he was going to hear a comment later about how Jason better not hit on his stepmother. Not that Jason would. No, he had his sights on the woman's stepson already.

“Jason Grace,” he finally managed to reply.

She smiled and squeezed Nico's arm. “Well, I've already been hearing some about you from this one, my mother, and even my husband. But I've yet to meet you myself.” She smiled and readjusted her sunglasses back onto her face. “Nico was right, you are quite handsome.”

Nico stiffened under her touch, his face turning red. “Persephone!”

The woman waved him off. “Now then,” she continued, “what had you in the office? I expected Bianca or Luke to be waiting with him.”

“Ah.” Jason rubbed the back of his head. “I told Bianca she could get back to lunch, since she didn't really get to finish her food. I didn't mind waiting with Nico.”

One of her finely manicured nails was pointed in Jason's direction. “Luke informed me that you stood up for Nico during the festival, and I can only assume you got involved on Nico's behalf today.” Nico glared up at his stepmother, already predicting what was about to come out of her mouth. “Why don't you come over and have dinner with us soon? Mother already wanted to cook you another meal, so we could just kill two birds with one stone.”

Nico's glare turned upon Jason. Seeing this, the blue-eyed boy smirked back at the pale boy. “I would be honored.” Persephone beamed at him and Nico only glared more. “I'll let Nico know when I am free.”

The woman clapped her hands together. “Wonderful! I shall let everyone know that we'll be expecting you in the nearby future.”

Jason smiled and waved as Persephone dragged a glaring Nico out of the school building. The boy chuckled when he saw Nico start to flail his arms in Persephone's direction. Well then, that had been a little unexpected.

Originally, Jason had wondered if there was conflict with Persephone and the rest of Nico's house, but that did not seem to be the case. Perhaps Nico did not get along with his father then? Whatever the case, Jason was still in the dark about why Nico did not like being at home, or the unexplained bruises that were on Nico's back.

\----------------------------------------

That was a haunted house?

Jason wanted to voice his disappointment, but the others seemed to be in a good mood, so he did not say anything. However, he was sure his aunt's underwear drawer was scarier than that excuse for a haunted house.

Not surprisingly, the event was primarily just a way for the town to scare its children of the devil. Witches, demons, and fire showcased most of the inside of the old house that was being used for the event, which thankfully was not very big. Jason figured he would have an easier time being scared watching My Little Pony than what that put him through. He had found himself bored through most of it.

Although, it did not seem like Kinzie or the others were particularly scared either, just laughing mostly.

Jason threw on a smile as the group walked to Eros's car. It seemed Khione had yet to talk to Kinzie, as the girl seemed to still be on good terms with him. “So,” Kinzie said, clinging onto Jason's arm, “did you have fun?”

“Yep,” the blond lied. No reason to spoil their good mood, he supposed. Not like it would do any good either; the town was set in their prejudices.

Jason slipped his hands into his pockets, partly trying to figure out a nice way of getting Kinzie off his arm without hurting her feelings. At least she was not as bad as most people in this town. Obviously not as nice as she could be, but what could Jason expect from someone who got a little brainwashed by the rest of the town?

Eros popped a jolly rancher in his mouth from the bag of candy he and everyone else that went in the haunted house got at the end. “So, my parents are busy tonight, if you guys want to come over and watch some horror movies.”

A sly grin spread across Octavian's lips. “Wouldn't be too scary for you?”

“Shove it.”

Jason got a bad feeling about things when Kinzie looked up at him with a smile. “You want to go?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh, um, no, I think I'll pass. I need to get caught up on some homework. Mrs. Nakamura was not very kind today.”

Kinzie pouted up at him. “Aw, come on, just for a little while?”

Something caught Jason's eye. He frowned and looked at the night sky in the distance. In the distance was the light of a fire rising up over the woods. “What's that?”

The others turned and followed his gaze. Octavian scuffed his shoe on the ground. “Probably some kids from school trying to scare each other in the woods.” He paused for a moment to open the back seat of Eros's car. “Or the witches doing one of their rituals.”

Figures, Jason thought, they'd find a way to bring this back to Luke and the others. However, if it was whatever Percy was talking about doing, then Jason figured it was probably more entertaining than this. Although, Jason had also not been invited, so it was not like he could just show up. Besides, what if it was not them?

Jason opened the door for Kinzie, who slid in. Once Jason sat beside of her, she looked to him again. “So, do you think you can spare an hour or two for a movie?”

Jason looked down at his phone. “No, I think I'll have to pass tonight.”

Just because he did not get invited, did not mean he could not call and see if he could change that.

The others bid him goodnight once he was back at the house. Kinzie tried one more time to get him to join them, but Jason found himself looking at the fire in the distance again. “No, perhaps next time,” he told her, which still got him a frown in return.

By the time he got into the house, his phone was already dialing Luke's number. Ms. Mellie was out for the night. Apparently, Coach Hedge had invited her to a small Halloween party that some of their friends were having. The blue-eyed boy paced around the small living room as it rang. When no answer came, Jason fell on the couch with a groan.

After trying Annabeth, Percy, Leo, Reyna, and Nico, Jason finally gave up. Did any of them have their phones on them? Jason stared at his phone with a frown. It was half past ten, and he found himself with absolutely nothing to do. Maybe he should have gone to watch the horror movie. His thumb hovered over Kinzie's name in his phone book.

Deciding against it, Jason played video games for nearly an hour, until he wound up falling asleep on the couch. As soon as his eyes shut and his head hit the cushion, his world turned black and smoked filled his vision. His body was torn away, like he was an invisible force staring into the abyss.

Jason found himself staring at a campfire in the middle of the woods. As the smoke evaporated, he found four girls—all rather young—dancing around the fire. “Witches! Witches! Witches!” They chanted happily, laughing as they skipped and danced.

There was no telling how old each of them were, but the youngest could barely pass for ten. The oldest probably was around Jason's age, if not a year or two younger. They continued to dance as they let their hair down.

A gust of wind blew the fire out, which scared the girls. However, their night of fright was far from over.

“So,” came a male voice from the darkness, “we hear you girls know a thing or two about witches.” The 's' was dragged out like the hiss of a snake.

“Wh-who's there?” The oldest girl asked cautiously.

The fire flickered back to its full force and the girls found themselves surrounded by thirteen teenagers, both male and female. But at the center were three that Jason had seen before: Kronos, Neptune, and the boy that reminded him of Nico.

The eldest girl peered forward. “Kronos? Is that you?” She seemed to relaxed. “You nearly gave us a fright.”

Kronos did not seem as amused. In fact, there was a dark glint in his eyes as he stared at the girls like some hungry predator. “You four have become quite something in town.” He finally smiled, stepping a few feet closer to the girls. “Mercy, tell me, doth thou think I am a witch?”

The eldest girl gave a nervous laugh. “Why of course not, don't be silly.”

One of the girls, a brunette, stepped forward from behind Kronos. “But you four pointed all those finger. All of those people were witches?”

The boy that looked like Nico nodded. “Surely Venus is right. But perhaps Salem is just infected with witches,” he said. The brunette named Venus smirked at him.

Mercy just laughed again. “'Tis but a game, don't be silly. All of those people hath wronged us.”

Kronos slowly nodded. Finally reaching out, he ran the back of his hand down Mercy's cheek. “I see. So, what thou art saying is that thou are having this town go on a witch hunt for your own amusement?” Mercy and the other three girls remained silent, no longer laughing. “I would think that real witches might not like that, as thou hast now created a fear in the town.”

Mercy shifted. “Kronos, I-”

Mercy's mouth clamped shut and her skin shifted and moved. Neptune eerily tilted his head to the side with an outstretched hand. Under her skin, Mercy's blood vessels became more apparent. Kronos's eyes turned from a near brown into pure gold. “Now, all of you, open your mouths.”

One by one, all four of the girls fell to their knees and opened their mouths. Tears streamed down their faces as their hands indicated they were struggling to move, but it was like an invisible rope had been tied around them.

Kronos snapped his fingers and Venus, the boy that looked like Nico, Neptune, and another boy stepped forward. In each of their hands was a long snake. The last boy handed his snake to Kronos. Kronos smiled and ran his finger across the snake's head.

“Thank you, Mercury,” Kronos said to the boy, who smirked and fell back with the others.

The boy that looked like Nico grabbed the youngest girl by the throat and put the head of the snake to her mouth. With eyes wide with fear, the girl helplessly watched as the snake slid down her throat until the tip of the tail vanished into her mouth.

Venus and Neptune repeated the same process, the girls letting out nearly silent screams as the snakes slithered down their throats. When it came to Kronos, he crouched down in front of Mercy. Tears streamed down her face and Kronos frowned.

With a snap of his fingers, Mercy fell forward and sobbed. “Why? Why are you doing this?”

“You wanted to play with witches, didn't you?” A sinister smirk spread across Kronos's lips. “You've started something that we cannot let just run rampant without having some control over the situation.” He reached out and grabbed her throat. Mercy's head snapped back and her mouth fell open. “You see, we'll be running these witch trials now, Mercy. We'll decide who dies. And, the funny thing is, not a single witch is going to end up dying.”

With that, Kronos held the snake up to Mercy's face. The snake reared back and opened its mouth, showing off its large teeth. With a hiss, the snake dove into Mercy's mouth, letting its tail brush against the corner of the girl's lips as it disappeared down her throat.

Kronos stood up and his eyes returned to normal. “Mercy?” He called out to the girl, who now had a blank look. “I need you and your friends to accuse the servant Tituba. The town wants a witch, and they can have what they want to believe is one.”

“Yes, of course,” Mercy replied before her and her friends stood to their feet and walked off into the woods.

Kronos watched them leave. Neptune came to stand beside him, his eyes also watching the girls. “Tituba? Why her?”

Kronos shrugged. “She wants to dabble in magic, so let them believe she is an actual witch. The world will never actually know she is not truly a witch and doubt can be cast upon her master's house.” His dark gaze finally looked upon Neptune. “Mother wants the town to burn itself to the ground for what they did to Father, and I aim to see her wish fulfilled.”

The others all nodded and started heading into the woods. Kronos turned to the one that looked like Nico, who was crouching by the fire. With a soft blow of the boy's lips, the fire instantly died. In the darkness, the boy smiled at Kronos.

“And the rest?”

Kronos remained still, his face uncertain in the darkness. “She won't be able to breathe a word if she's dead. Just keep her quiet until the time comes.”

There was a silence from the other boy. When he shifted, he brushed past Kronos. “Your mother said-”

“Do you not trust me?” Kronos asked, turning his head to look at the other boy. The brown-eyed boy remained silent and disappeared into the woods. “Tartarus!” Kronos shouted after him.

Jason jerked up, his breathing beyond ragged. Sweat covered his face, his arms, and his chest. And he only became more alarmed when he found himself in the middle of the woods. Leaves stuck to his hand as he stumbled onto his feet. Jason spun around several times, trying to figure out where he was. He could barely see anything, let alone decipher a direction.

“That dream,” Jason whispered.

He clutched his head and knelt down on his haunches. That name... it was the name from that tombstone back in the graveyard. How did he get here all the way from Salem? Before, Jason had just figured they were dreams, but now he was not as certain. Tartarus di Angelo had been the name on the tombstone Jason had tripped over the night he had dinner at Luke's house.

So, how was it he was dreaming about a real person from the past?

There was no way this was even possible, Jason kept repeating in his head. Kronos and Tartarus were supposed to be just dreams, not real people. Or maybe it was just a coincidence, Jason's mind supplied. There was no way he could have really dreamt about one of Nico's ancestors. It had to be just a coincidence that the two had the same name. And it was not like Jason had heard the name 'di Angelo' in there.

Still, Jason found himself in a state of panic. This was too weird for him. Because, it couldn't have been real. After what those kids had done to those girls, there was simply no way it could have been something that actually happened. There was no such thing as magic, there was no such thing as an actual witch.

Jason kept repeating this to himself as he stumbled his way through the woods. As he stared into the darkness, Jason could see a glimpse of a light breaking through the woods. Figuring it was his best option, Jason let his legs carry him in that direction.

“I really need to stop waking up in the woods,” the blond muttered to himself.

As he got closer, Jason could start to make out some voices coming from the direction of the fire. Although, as he got closer, the words became less appealing, as he heard things like bones, draining blood, and tongues. He was starting to wonder if it was a good idea to even inspect the fire, but he also tried to keep in mind that it was Halloween and was probably just some kids goofing off.

Jason stepped behind a tree and peered into the small clearing where the fire was at. Relief flooded over him as he found Luke, Reyna, and the others laughing and standing around the open fire. A goblet and knife was being passed around, the latter worrying Jason slightly. Especially when, after each drink, each of the kids would prick their finger and drop their blood into the fire. The fire hissed and grew larger with each donation the teenagers made.

Only eleven wore robes, though. The only person that Jason found was missing was Nico. Percy took the knife and slashed across his palm. Running his finger across his palm, the boy smeared his blood on his face in a indistinguishable pattern.

When the green-eyed boy was finished, he threw the dagger towards the fire, where it hovered and straightened so that the hilt was pointed upwards and the blade towards the ground. The blood from the others slowly rose from the flames and coated the blade, sliding along its metal surface and then soaking into a ruby gem that was embedded into the hilt.

“It is ready,” Percy announced. “Now we just wait for the final piece.”

Jason was not going to stick around to find out what that meant. Staggering slightly, the boy nearly fell on his ass. Nearly tripping three more times, Jason ran as fast as his legs would carry him until he collided with a hooded figure in the darkness.

“Ow,” came a familiar voice.

The hood had fallen away upon impact, and Jason now found Nico laying on the ground beside him. The boy's eyes bulged as he staggered to his feet.

Nico jumped up. “Jason? What are you doing out here?” He hissed, but keeping his voice down.

“N-nothing!”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “What did you see?”

Jason's eyes reflected his panic. Without answering, the boy ran. He nearly tripped over a fallen tree, but Jason refused to let that stop him. This was impossible, he kept repeating in his head. He had to still be dreaming.

The blue-eyed boy skidded to a halt when Nico appeared in front of him. The boy turned and ran straight into a tree. Clutching his face, Jason stumbled a few steps away. Nico let out a sigh. “Why are you running?” Nico asked.

Jason took off again. This was not possible, it just wasn't. There was no such thing as magic. This was the real world, not some book or movie, things like this did not happen. “Just wake up,” Jason told himself as he ran.

Jason hunched over, trying to catch his breath. He stared into the darkness, seeing if Nico was still following him. There was no sign of the boy anywhere. But that did not mean Nico was not there. Jason had just witnessed him appear out of thin air!

The blue-eyed boy's brow furrowed as he witnessed the shadows darken where he had just come from. His face paled as, once again, Nico emerged. The boy let out a sigh and slowly walked towards Jason.

“You want to let me talk about this?” Nico grumbled.

Normally, Jason would be happy to oblige. And it wasn't even that he was scared of Nico or the others—okay maybe scared a little. But that was because they could use fucking magic!

Jason tried to run, but ended up stumbling and falling face first into gravel. Bright lights hit his eyes and soon a car horn blared in his ears. Jason's heart stopped and he could see his life flash before his eyes as the car neared his head.

What happened next felt like a dream, but something Jason would never forget. Nico, now in the road, flung his arm in the air and sent the car sailing into a nearby tree. The car bounced off the tree and landed in a nearby ditch, the horn relentlessly blaring at the two boys.

Jason stared up at Nico with wide eyes. “You-you killed them!”

Nico glanced at the car, scratching his cheek. “That? No, they're just unconscious. They won't remember a thing.” He shrugged. “They'll probably need to go to the hospital, but I wouldn't kill people for just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.” He crouched down a few feet away from Jason. “Besides, they almost ran you over. A simple 'thank you' would suffice.”

“You-” Jason pointed his finger at the calm boy. “You lied to me!”

Nico frowned at him. “Did not!” The brown-eyed boy tapped his lips. “What did I not lie about?”

Jason jumped to his feet, not letting his eyes off Nico. “You told me you weren't a witch!”

“Oh.” Nico still seemed relaxed. With the quirk of his brow, the boy shrugged. “I'm not a witch.” Jason gave him a disbelieving look, motioning to the flipped car. “I'm a warlock, duh. Do I look like a girl?”

Jason's head felt very dizzy. “I need to lie down,” he muttered. Stumbling once, Nico caught him and sat him back down on the gravel road. “Thanks.” Jason frowned but did not move away when Nico sat down beside him. “So, magic...”

Nico seemed amused by Jason's shock. “Yes, I did just do that. I didn't think you saw me flip that car.” The boy cast his gaze to the road, where he picked up a rock. “Although, I suppose you also saw our ritual.”

“So you were doing a ritual,” Jason whispered.

Nico's eyes were dull when Jason looked up. “Do you hate us now?”

Hate them? They had been good friends so far, and Jason had not really found anything wrong with them. Sure he might get annoyed with them every now and then, but that was common among all friends. He was just caught off-guard, and it was not like Nico was being inconsiderate about it either; the boy was actually being very patient. Jason just needed some time to get his head around all of this.

Jason snorted, laughing. Nico looked at him like he was crazy. “Of course not,” the blond chuckled. “Just, um...” He motioned to Nico. “You know, a little freaked out... but in a good way.” He scratched his head. “Is there a good way to be freaked out?”

Nico just rolled his eyes. “I will never understand you, Jason Grace.” He finally touched Jason's arm and the blue-eyed boy smiled at him. “At least you seem pretty calm now.”

“Just needed a moment to lose my mind.” Jason brought his legs up to his chest. “But, so, you practice witchcraft then?” Nico nodded. “And that means the town was right about you?”

“Yes and no,” Nico replied. He stood up and offered Jason a hand, which the older boy took. Jason's legs still felt like goo. “We do practice witchcraft, but we don't worship Satan or any form of a devil. In fact, we don't believe in either of those things. For some reason, the Christian church decided it got to tell even those that practice the craft what their religion involved. I mean, they think we have to get our power from some evil force.”

“Oh.” There were so many questions running through Jason's mind at the moment, and he simply did not know where to start. He was still stuck on the fire and the car flipping. “This is a lot to process.”

Nico nodded, keeping his eyes on Jason. “I can imagine. You're the second mortal to know about us in this town.”

“The other?”

A smile touched at Nico's lips. “It's, um, something I think best left unsaid for now.”

Jason shook his head to try and clear it. “Hold up.” He held up his hands and made the timeout motion. “So, what about the town? They call you witches all the time, yet you guys don't seem to worry that much.”

Nico gave him a dull look. “You really think we'd be worried about people with knives, guns, and fire when you saw what I just did? Please,” the boy scoffed. It made Jason smile slightly. “No, like I told you before, they think we just worship the devil. There are two types of witches in the reality of things: practicing witches and magical witches.”

“So, what's the difference?”

Nico glanced to the woods. “Um, maybe another time.” He smiled up at Jason. “Just... I'm glad you're taking this so well.”

“Taking what so well?” The two boys froze at the new voice.

Luke stood at the edge of the woods, no longer wearing his robe. Now that Jason's head was clear, he noticed Nico's was also gone. Luke stepped onto the road, his eyes instantly shifting over to where the car was situated in the ditch.

“Would anyone like to fill me in on what just happened?” The blond asked. “Drunk driver?”

Nico let out a sigh. With a glance in Jason's direction, Nico gave Luke an answer that would spell the end to Jason's life as he knew it. “We have a problem.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this story. I wanted to wait to get this chapter out, so I could publish it and the next one sort of close together. I've actually had this chapter in storage for maybe two weeks. I've been working on one or two other things. One being my book. The other I will talk about soon. Not sure how soon, but soon. For any of you that read that old version, I hope you guys liked the changes I made to this chapter, and the ones for next chapter. I changed a lot with Percy, because I hated how much of a dick Jason was in the old version. I also changed Apollo next chapter to be more fitting of his magic. Also, there will be a new chapter coming up. It'll be inserted between where the old 12 and 13 are. So it is the new 13, and it contains a huge story arc. One that I'm super excited about, but one that I know will leave at least two people rather devastated. Even though they know it's coming.
> 
> I actually have a lot of ideas for this story that I've been thinking about, and I'm glad that everyone convinced me to return to this story. It was actually my biggest regret as an author to abandon it. The good news is that this version should be bigger than anything I could have imagined from the old version. But this, what came to light in this chapter for Jason, is why the story could not be properly dark yet. Jason had to know that his friends were witches and warlocks. He needed to know, so he could begin to see what was going on around him.


	10. A Louisiana Haunting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an incredibly long chapter. Just putting that out there right now. It turned into 30 pages. The old version of this chapter was long, but I added a bit to the new one. The introduction of my new story arc is also hinted at in this chapter. It's not that hard to pinpoint, so don't hurt yourselves trying to decipher the smallest things. It's just mentioned at two brief points.
> 
> Also, if you're looking for some good music to go with this story, I would recommend "Blood on my name" by the Brothers Bright. The music and the words have the perfect feel for this story.

“Please don't freak out,” Nico begged as Luke groaned in front of him, palming his face. Jason blinked between the two as Nico began to flail his arms. “It's not a big deal, and you said yourself that we can trust Jason!”

Luke let out another groan. “I meant with normal things, Nico.” The blond peaked through his fingers at the flipped car. “And they are going to need an ambulance, more than likely.”

The brown-eyed boy rolled his eyes, and with a wave of a hand, the people in the car vanished. “There, all better.” Nico motioned to Jason. “And look, he's completely fine with it all.”

Jason scratched his cheek. “Well-”

Nico narrowed his eye. “Unless you have something positive to add to this, stay quiet.”

The blue-eyed boy held up his hands in defense. “I was just saying that it's still a bit strange, but I think I can deal with it.”

“See?”

Luke let out a sigh. “Nico,” the blond groaned.

“Don't Nico me, you ass.” The pale boy crossed his arms. “So we don't tell the rest.”

Luke chewed on his lip, his eyes darting between Nico and Jason. Finally, the older blond let out a sigh and slid his hands into his back pockets. “I'm fine with it, really I am, Jason, but there are rules.” Nico narrowed his eyes, but Luke held up a hand. “I'll get the other Firsts, and we'll talk it over in a small group. Sound okay?”

Nico gave a small nod.

“Good.” Luke's blue eyes sparkled at Jason in the moonlight. “Nico will take you to the cemetery. I'll be there shortly with a few of the others.” He took a few steps before turning back to Nico, holding up his hands as if to tell the boy to wait. “Just... don't tell him too much, since we don't know if he'll get to keep his memories afterward.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Nico mumbled as Luke disappeared into the woods. With a sigh, he motioned to Jason and led the taller boy into the woods.

“So, um, he wasn't being serious about the memory thing, was he?” Jason asked hesitantly, trying to stick close to Nico in the darkness.

“Hard to say. The majority people that you'll be standing before like you, so you have that in your favor.”

“Why do I feel like there's a 'but' in there?”

“But,” Nico began, “it'll depend on what Percy thinks.”

Jason let out a groan. “Great. Why him?”

Nico held back a low branch to let Jason pass. “It's just the way our coven works. His family carries a lot of authority.” The boy slowed down and jumped down a one foot ledge. “Percy gets along with you pretty well, so you have that in your favor.”

“I've questioned that lately.”

“He's just being cautious. Percy is basically in charge of everyone in our age group, including the ones like Silena and Beckendorf. It's just the hierarchy of the coven.” The boy shrugged. “He has a lot on his plate, and answers only to the adults that run the coven.”

“I got the impression that he was jealous I was spending time with you,” Jason whispered.

Nico stopped and let out a sigh. “It's complicated, but probably not what you think.”

“Are you single then?” Jason boldly asked, staring down into Nico's dark eyes.

The pale boy gave him an annoyed look. “Are you really going to ask that right now?” He sighed and began walking again. “I think you have more important things to worry about, losing your memory being the least of your problems.”

Jason gulped at that. “You're not going to, like, cut my tongue out, are you?”

“Possibly.”

Blue eyes widened in the darkness. Nico was just kidding, wasn't he? From the serious look he got when Nico chanced a glance back at him, Jason got the feeling the boy was dead serious. Clutching his throat, Jason jogged to catch up to a small path that Nico had diverted onto.

Once he was in step beside Nico, the blond looked down at the other boy. “But I thought you said someone else knows?”

Nico nodded. “Special circumstances. It was life or death.” He grinned up at the blue-eyed boy's frustrated look. “Sorry, can't tell you.” And then the smile was gone, replaced by a far off look. “In truth, it happened several years before I was born.”

The treeline finally broke and Jason spotted the cemetery across the road. He took in a deep breath and slid down the hill with Nico. He would admit that he was a little nervous, since he pretty much risked any possible horrible fate that awaited him if the group did not vote in his favor.

Nico opened up the gate for him and they stepped inside. Without saying anything, Nico sat down on one of the tombstones, his legs dangling off the side. He smirked as Jason began to pace in circles.

It was not long before Jason began to hear raised voices.

“What was Nico thinking, using magic like that?” That one was Annabeth.

“He shouldn't be getting involved in this,” came Thalia's slightly more calm voice. 

“Well, this should be interesting,” Nico said, snapping his fingers and summoning a ball of fire. Tossing his hand back, he threw the ball at a small brazier near one of the tombstones.

The gate swung open and in came several of the kids, and they slowly gathered around Jason and Nico. At least Jason had met everyone there, so he already knew who seemed to like him or not. Well, he hoped. Most of them seemed to like him in general, but did they trust him with this huge secret?

Silena tapped her finger to her lips as she stared at Jason intently. Beckendorf stood behind her, giving Jason a small thumbs up. It did not make Jason feel any better. Annabeth had her lips pressed into a thin line, shaking her head lightly. Frank fidgeted slightly, shifting his weight every few seconds. Luke rubbed at his mouth, shooting Jason a lopsided smile.

Katie was there, biting her nails as she tried her best not to look at Jason. That really did not make the blond feel any better. Will seemed calm, but that was not surprising. For the entirety of Percy's birthday, the guy had been nothing but relaxed. Castor was too busy on his 3DS to really pay them much attention. The only one that looked happy to see him was Rachel, who grinned and waved at him. Smiling a little, Jason gave her a nervous wave.

Nico, however, seemed perfectly calm as he sat on the tombstone, inspecting his nails. Percy walked around the rest of the group to stand at the front, between them and Jason. It would just be really great if the green-eyed boy would just say something. It was starting to drive Jason insane, since the vote essentially came down to Percy Jackson. Luke stepped forward as well, his arms crossed.

“Percy, just listen,” Luke began.

The raven haired boy narrowed his eyes. “I'm still trying to process all of this. Nobody has even told me why he was out here in the first place. Not only has he seen a ritual, but Nico blatantly used his powers in front of him.”

Nico simply shrugged. “Wasn't easy, let me tell you.”

Percy gave him a dull look. “I've seen you rip a tree out of the ground, don't give me the 'it wasn't easy' bullshit.”

“I meant chasing him down,” Nico mumbled, biting at one of his nails. The boy shrugged. “He runs really fast.”

Percy flung his arms in the air. “I feel like my hands are tied. I know what the coven would have ordered, and I'm pretty sure most of you would disagree. But what am I supposed to do?” He sighed and glanced at Jason. “This is nothing personal, you understand that, right? Just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You're a nice guy, Jason. Nicer than most of the people in this town are to us.”

“No, just nicer than anyone in the town,” Beckendorf added. “He's a real nice guy.”

That caused Percy to let out a groan. “Can I hear some other opinions?” He begged.

Annabeth motioned to Jason. “It's not that I don't trust you, Jason, it's just that I don't think getting you involved in this is a good idea.” She pursed her lips. “If we allowed it, you'd have to keep quiet about knowing anything, even from the others. Everyone. There's no way our parents would allow this.”

“No,” Percy began, “they wouldn't. Which is why I'm in favor of blanking his memory.” He held up a hand when Luke went to protest. “Again, I like him just fine. It's for the best.” He frowned at Nico. “You know as well as I do what the coven might do to him if they found out. This would be a mercy.”

Luke placed an arm in front of Jason. “We could give him some benefit. He's been over to our houses, and hasn't said anything to anyone at school.” The blond let out a sigh. “I know it's not much, but it's more than most would do. Kids at school brag to each other when they so much as touch the fences around our lawn.”

Percy grunted. “This is a lot to ask and put on him. I know it might not seem all that big to him right now, but we all know what comes with being too close to us can bring. We are dangerous to be around. It's why we live in such an isolate place. It's a miracle that he hasn't turned on us already.”

“Isn't that strange?” Will voiced. The boy shrugged when all eyes turned to him. “There are exceptions, but to such an extent. Even those unaffected by it show signs of hesitation or nervousness when being around us.” He scratched at his head with a frown. “It's something we can't escape from. It's why my mother is moving us back here. But are we any better than those that came before us if we do this to someone that has been nothing but nice to you guys since he arrived?”

Beckendorf placed his hands on Silena's shoulders and the girl sighed. “Jason, we don't mind that you know.” She motioned to the nervous blue-eyed boy. “You've been a good friend to us ever since you moved here, and I feel this might allow you to become closer to us.” She glanced at Percy. “I'm in favor of a trial period.”

Beckendorf nodded. “If he passes, perhaps we could look into telling the others, and maybe even our parents.” He grinned at Jason. “I trust him to keep our secret.”

Jason opened his mouth to say something, but Luke shot him a glare to silence him. The blue-eyed boy adjusted his glasses and looked to Nico, who smiled. Perhaps it was best if he did not speak right now. He let out a breath, shifting his weight.

Percy arched a brow. “Frank?”

The tall Asian boy furrowed his brow. “I don't... see the harm in a trial period. Silena's right, Jason's been a good friend to us. Even our parents can appreciate how he's stood up for us. He even got in that fight in the bathroom!”

Percy crossed his arms and faced away from everyone. “Castor? Care to weigh in here?” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “You need to put the game down for a second.”

Castor shrugged. “I don't know. Whatever you guys think is best.” Thalia narrowed her eyes and shut the DS, which caused the boy to growl and stomp his foot. “Fine! Perhaps we should nip it in the bud before things get out of hand. Maybe do the dog thing again.” He grinned happily as he watched Jason. “Maybe Dad will let me keep him. I've always wanted a dog. It's unfair how Nico is the only one with a pet.”

Jason shivered a little. The air felt colder. It was silent. Dead silent. Nobody moved in the group, except for Castor, who had gone back to his game. Then Jason's brow furrowed as he noticed something spreading on the ground. The grass was slowly withering and dying, spreading outwards from a central location. Nico.

There was something actually terrifying about Nico at that moment, something that chilled Jason to his very core. Not only that, but it had everyone else apparently too afraid to talk or move. Maybe worried that they might set the boy off. But what had Castor said exactly that brought this about? Was it because the kid had suggested they turn Jason into an animal?

However, Jason cringed when Rachel cleared her throat. “I think it's a good idea.” She smiled at Percy. “He's supposed to know.”

“And how do you know that?” Percy asked before clearing his throat. He silently watched Nico from the corner of his eye.

“Because I had a dream about him before he moved here.” She motioned around them. “We were all standing here, and he was standing there, looking all nervous like he is now.” Her hand briefly hovered over Nico's general direction. “And... never mind.” She blew out a breath. “He's just supposed to know.”

Luke crossed his arms. “Percy, can't we just let this go, so we can all go to bed? It's late, man.” He motioned in Jason's direction. “I trust him, and I vouch for him.”

“I just-” Percy looked like he might try to strangle something. He glanced at Nico again, who remained silent. “I think this could be a bad idea. If our parents found out...”

Annabeth sighed. “Percy-”

“Don't,” Percy whispered. He let out a sigh and stared at Jason. “I hate making decisions like this, dude. You have no idea.”

“I'd like to keep remembering that piece of information,” Jason chuckled nervously.

Nico finally hopped off of the tombstone. “Percy,” he began, “we both know that you don't always like or obey the coven.” The green-eyed boy in question slumped his shoulders. “Is it too much to ask that Jason get a chance at proving himself?” He took a step back. “You still have the final say, but I think he deserves a chance.”

Percy scrunched his lips, his eyes darting over to where Jason stood. Letting out a long breath, the tan boy let his arms drop to his side. “One chance.” He gave Jason a serious stare. “Don't make me regret this.” He walked over and leaned in, so that only Jason could hear him. “I don't care if the coven found out and punished me, but I have everyone else to worry about. I don't want them getting punished for this.” Jason gave a small nod of acknowledgment. “I especially don't need the town finding out. The younger ones, who don't know how to defend themselves like the rest of us do would be in danger.”

“I understand,” Jason whispered.

With an intake of breath, Percy nodded. “Good.” He pursed his lips. “Just... don't let us down, okay?”

Jason finally managed to swallow the lump that had been in his throat for the past few minutes. His shoulders visibly relaxed for all of two seconds before he found his body flying through the air, the air being knocked out of him when his back collided with the stone wall of the mausoleum. Jason felt like he was being gutted in the stomach. His face felt hot, and he felt like he might hurl at any moment.

“I'm disappointed in all of you,” came a strangely familiar voice from nowhere.

Right before Jason's eyes, a ball of light appeared in front of the others. It slowly grew and took form until Apollo stood in the cemetery. The blond had his hand outstretched towards Jason, though he was several feet away.

“You know what we in the coven usually do to mortals that go poking their noses in things like this, and yet you all are letting him off the hook.” He narrowed his eyes at the group. “I shudder to think what this coven might come to if our Firsts are this weak.” His eyes fell on Percy. “And I'm especially disappointed in you. What would your father think?”

“Shouldn't you be with the adults,” Luke grumbled.

Apollo's eyes, which usually looked so bright, were venomous. “We finished already, thought I'd come to see how everything was going here. And to pick up Will.” The aforementioned boy gave Apollo a slight nod. Apollo pointed a finger at Jason. “I'm not letting him leave here with the knowledge of what we are!”

Jason lurched forward and expelled some of the contents of his stomach. His hair had matted down to his forehead and there were small boils slowly appearing on his arms. Then it was like his heart might explode. It just kept beating faster and faster. Jason clutched at his chest as he slowly slid down the wall of the mausoleum.

“Let him go, Apollo!” Thalia yelled, yanking on the back of the blond's shirt, but Apollo just flicked his hand and the girl was jerked backwards by some roots. His dark eyes shot over to Jason. “Sorry about this, Jason. Nothing personal.”

Jason's breathing had turned erratic. Was he going to die? Out of nowhere, his body began to seize on the ground. And while he wasn't sure, Jason had the suspicion that the back of his head was bleeding from repeatedly hitting the marble wall behind him.

“Stop!”

Much to his relief, Jason stopped seizing on the ground and began gasping for breath. His body still ached, but he no longer felt like death. When he looked up, Nico stood between him and Apollo. The blond narrowed his eyes, reaching out for Jason again. But nothing ever came. Apollo hissed out a curse when he looked down and found skeletal hands gripping his ankles.

Jason wasn't sure where Nico got a knife, but the boy slid the blade across his palm and showed it to Apollo. “I vouch for him, with my blood.” He flung his hand and sent some of his blood into the nearby fire.

“I invoke my right as Head of House Solace,” Apollo hissed.

Nico stood defiant. “And I invoke mine as First to my father, Head of House di Angelo.” Jason wasn't sure if it was just the lack of air he had been getting, but it looked like there was a dark outline surrounding Nico. “By that right, I command you to stand down!”

No one spoke. Apollo glared down at Jason before returning his gaze to Nico. The blond thrust his finger at Nico's chest. “You better know what you are doing. This is on your head now.” With another dark look at Jason, Apollo turned and began to walk off.

“And you won't tell the others?” Percy called after the retreating asshole.

Apollo gave a wave over his shoulder. “Yeah, whatever,” he muttered.

Nico and Luke crouched down beside Jason. “You okay, man?” Luke asked.

“Uh-huh,” Jason answered dizzily. Nico grinned at him before getting Luke to help him get Jason to his feet. “Thanks.”

Nico rubbed his arm. “Well, looks like you get to keep your pretty face after all.”

Jason grinned like an idiot. “I knew-”

Nico's eyes widened and he caught Jason as the blue-eyed boy nearly fell down. He sighed as he sat Jason on the ground. Nico bit his lip and looked up at Luke. “I've got him, if you want to get the others home before our parents start to worry.”

Luke gave a nod. “Okay, guys, we need to get to bed,” he called to the others.

Before leaving, Will jogged over to them. “Again, sorry about my cousin.” He patted Jason on the shoulder, which actually made Jason feel a thousand times better. “Maybe I'll see you again, dude.”

Jason blinked as he sat up in confusion. It was like Will's touch had removed all traces of whatever it was that Apollo had done to him. Nico smiled and sat down beside him, bringing his knees up to his chest. Jason rubbed the back of his head, wincing when his fingers touched at the bruise. His hair was kind of caked together, so Jason tugged at his hair. He frowned when he noticed dried blood. But no fresh blood. Strange.

“How did he...”

Nico gave a small nod, regarding Jason from the corner of his eye. “This is all going to be so confusing for you. But I am glad that Will decided to fix you up before he left. If I had been left to do it-”

“Wait, you can heal people, too?”

Nico let out a chuckle. “It's sort of like how most people in a country speak in a common tongue.” He took in a breath, turning his gaze to the moon overhead. “Magic is complicated. There's common forms of magic, like... flipping the car.”

“Telekinesis,” Jason added.

The brown-eyed boy smiled, but did not look away from the moon. “In the broad sense of the term. But what Apollo did to you, when he flung you back like that, was completely different. And what he did to you after... it was the darker and opposite side of what Will did. That sort of goes into house magic.”

Jason furrowed his brow. “House magic?”

Nico finally looked at him, giving Jason a contemplative look. “If I trust you with all of this, you swear you won't burn us?” He cringed slightly. “I don't mean that in the literal sense.”

Jason gave a small nod. “I promise.” He held out a hand for Nico to clasp. The brown-eyed boy looked at him funny for a moment before clasping the blond's hand. “I swear that your secret is safe with me.”

A small exhale came from Nico before he began to pull up some grass. “While we all know common magic, each house specializes in different forms of magic.”

“So, like, what do you all do?”

Nico chuckled, shaking his head. He seemed happier than Jason usually saw him, which made Jason smile. The brown-eyed boy leaned back, stretching out his legs. “That's complicated. That's like suggesting that everyone in the house likes the same things to eat.” Nico shook his head again. “It would take far too long to detail everyone's individual talent as witches or warlocks.” He pressed a hand to his chest. “Take my family for example. Bianca, Medea, and Hazel can communicate with spirits, as well as summon them. Bianca can physically touch spirit, while Hazel practices Vodoun.”

Jason quirked a brow. “You mean Voodoo?”

Nico gave him an odd look. “Sort of. Voodoo is a broad term, like magic in general. Vodoun is not the same as Vodou, not entirely. However, they both are Voodoo. If that makes any sense. But to say that Hollywood has vastly exaggerated the practice is an understatement.” He nudged Jason's shoulder. “And, please, don't call it Vodou around Hazel or Beckendorf.”

“Beckendorf practices it as well?”

Nico scrunched his lips. “Yes and no. He dabbles in it, but Hazel is far more advanced at it than he is. But Beckendorf's mother was a Vodoun priestess.” The boy's fingers were pulling up more strands of grass. “It's sort of why our families stuck around here, because we found other people with magic. However, if not for my family, they wouldn't have been so... welcoming.”

Jason frowned. This was a lot to take in. How insane was this? Maybe he was dreaming. It had to be a dream, right? Jason frowned again after pinching himself. Nope, definitely not a dream. “I take it there's a story there?”

“Yep.”

“So, what about you?” Jason asked.

The boy did not seem so eager to answer that question. He cleared his throat and looked away from Jason. “You know, just regular stuff with death. Death magic, zombies, ghosts, that sort of thing.”

Jason tilted his head to the side. Was Nico being serious when he called it 'regular stuff'? Magic wasn't 'regular'! “The way you talked about your family, it sounded like they were different.”

Nico let out a sigh. When he looked at Jason, the blue-eyed boy noticed a sad look in his brown orbs. “Like my father before me, and his father before him, I'm capable of raising and dismissing the dead. Like corpses—zombies, technically, if you want to call them that. I can also command a few more spirits than the girls,” Nico whispered.

Jason smiled at the way Nico looked embarrassed. “I think you're being modest.”

The boy inhaled. “It's not really anything to brag about, really. Not like Luke and his family, who can cast illusions. Or Percy's family, who can control water. Creating a whirlpool in a calm lake is much more impressive.” The boy blinked a few times, trying to look anywhere but at Jason.

The blue-eyed boy decided to show mercy on the poor boy. “So, what about the others? Will said he's moving here. What about Apollo and Thalia? I know Beckendorf and Silena still live here, and Clarisse.” Jason leaned back on his palms. “What is the deal with that anyways?”

“That's... I don't really want to talk about that. We have our reasons. We want to be somewhere quiet and away from the eyes of the world.” Nico shifted slightly away from Jason. “Most of us, including our parents, will choose to go to school in New Orleans. Apollo and Artemis's father went back to college several times to stay up to date on medicine.”

“Why does that seem to be the place where you all go for college?”

“Just is,” Nico mumbled. “New Orleans is a site for magic, heavy in death magic.” The boy looked down at his lap. “I hate going there, too loud, and I don't mean from the people actually living there.” The boy cleared his throat and finally looked up to meet Jason's gaze. “Anyways, Will's mother just realized it doesn't really matter where she goes.”

“What do you mean?”

“I-.” Nico rubbed the back of his neck. “We never move far from home, or we don't usually. Most of the time. Like ninety-nine percent of the time. We like to stay close to our site of magic and it's away from everyone.” Surely they weren't the only people out there with magic, were they? So why feel the need to stay around this town? “Since Apollo is usually away at school, he insisted that Will and his mother move back here. After Will's father passed, Will's mom wanted to get away from all of this. We tried to tell her it wouldn't matter, but-”

“What wouldn't matter?” Jason asked.

Inhaling deeply, Nico picked up a blade of grass, which died between his fingers. “It's a long story, one that you shouldn't worry about. Doesn't seem to apply to you for some reason. Maybe I'll talk about it later. Just... It's not the best topic for us to talk about. I- My family... my ancestor, he screwed up. He and someone else.” Nico took in another breath. “Let's just... move on.”

Jason blinked twice. “So, like, does Will have the same problems at his school?”

Nico nodded his head. “It's our punishment, but that's going back to what I don't want to talk about.” He grinned. “It's not that this town is just full of assholes. It never gets to be easy when magic is involved.”

Jason gulped at that. “Okay, so, what was that ritual, anyways?”

The other boy gave a small nod. “Right. That.” He scrunched his lips and furrowed his brow. “It's a special holiday for us. Not Halloween,” the boy said with a hint of irritation. “We call it Samhain. It was just a standard ritual to sanctify the coven. Well, the Firsts were doing it and the rest of the kids usually just watch. Our parents do a full ritual and all that in their own circle.” Nico grinned wickedly. “It wasn't something for revenge, if that's what you were thinking.”

“Looked...” The blond's brow furrowed as he attempted to think of the appropriate wording. “Evil? I don't think that's the right word.”

Thankfully, Nico smiled at him. Jason let out a breath. “Not at all. It was just to strengthen our bonds.”

It seemed like Jason was doing a good job of following, until he thought back to something Luke had said a while back. “So, I guess you didn't get to do it, since I interrupted you from getting there.”

“Right,” Nico whispered with a smile. “It's not a huge deal, as long as the adults did one. It's just been rough lately, even with the adults. Turmoil can waver the circle that we cast. We lost my mother for starters. Not to mention...” His fingers tightened in the grass, his knuckles turning white. “Apollo's sister, Artemis, is currently Head of House for the Nightshades. Traditionally, it is presided over by a female anyways, so it's not really a big deal. However, her husband... died shortly after Artemis was pregnant with their only child, Zoë.” Jason might not be the brightest crayon in the box, but even he could tell that Nico was bothered by something. “So, since Zoë is still pretty young, she can't stand in the circle with us, which is why Thalia does.”

“But Thalia is older.”

“She was adopted. Bloodlines come before adoption.” Nico rubbed the back of his neck. “We are born with our magic, but it doesn't surface until we reach puberty, which Zoë hasn't reached yet. Until that time, you aren't able to stand in a circle without consequences to your physical well-being.” Nico finally seemed to relax, dropping his hands into his lap. “But it's not really a big deal, since we are only Firsts, and the actual Heads of House have their full circle.”

Jason frowned as he thought of something else. “Seems like there's a lot of death that happens in your families.”

Nico's shoulders slumped and his lips drew into a thin line. “You would be correct. It's a long story, one that I'd rather not get into right now, if that's okay?”

Jason gave a small nod. “Yeah, of course. I appreciate what you've already told me, and I don't want to push you into talking about something you don't want to.” He smiled and nudged Nico's shoulder. “Cheer up, you're cuter when you smile.”

Nico glared at him from behind his black bangs. “You're asking to get hit, Grace.” He narrowed his eyes. “I just might let Castor turn you into that dog. It would be an improvement.”

Blue eyes snapped open wide. “That reminds me, what did Castor mean by that?”

Nico clamped his mouth shut. “Nothing,” he whispered. “You really don't want to know.”

“I feel like I should worry,” Jason mumbled.

The other boy shot him a sad look. “It—He had it coming.” Nico fidgeted beside Jason. “He killed my mother, Jason,” Nico whispered.

The blond's brow furrowed. “Who did?” He leaned a little closer to the other boy, his blood already starting to boil.

“Khione's father,” Nico said, barely above a whisper. He took in a breath and straightened, wringing his hands. “My father... he put Khione's father, Boreas, into a trance one night, and made him come to our house.” The boy shuddered. “I still remember his screams. They were so loud that I could hear them from the basement, all the way up on the second floor.” Nico would not look at Jason. “I remember when I came downstairs, I saw Boreas writhing on the floor, screaming in pain.

“And then his bones started to snap and twist under his skin,” Nico continued. “The hair across his body thickened and spread, turning different colors. His ears grew until they drooped on either side of his tail. And with a final scream, the man's nose cracked until it came out from his face several inches.” Nico pursed his lips. “And where there was once a man, there was now a dog. The very same dog that you can find at Khione's house.”

Jason sat there, stunned, for a long period of time. He had seen that dog. He had pet that dog! “The beagle?” Jason whispered.

There was a small nod from Nico, who still refused to look at the boy next to him. “My father took him back home, cursing Boreas to forever remember who he was before, but unable to speak like a human anymore. After the transformation, my father told Boreas that it would be his eternal punishment for what he did: being so close to his family, but that he will never truly be able to be with them ever again.”

Jason did not know what to say. He had liked that dog, but now he was so conflicted. On one hand, he was upset that Nico's father would do something like that to a person that could not fight back to the same extent that Nico's father was capable of. But on the other hand, he now hated that dog for what he had once done to Nico's mother. Part of Jason's mind justified that the man deserved what he got in the end.

“Say something,” Nico whispered.

“Is there... anything else? What else have you done to the town?” Jason asked. When Nico cringed, Jason realized how that must have sounded. “I... I didn't mean it like that,” Jason quickly added.

Nico continued to look down at his lap, crossing his legs. “That's a pretty long list. Like I said, we don't just sit back and take it.” He let out a sigh. “Well, there was the cobbler.” He chanced a look at Jason. “You really shouldn't have eaten it.”

The blue-eyed boy felt sick. “What was in it?” He asked hesitantly.

The other boy bit down on his lip. “Ground up eyeballs,” Nico mumbled.

Jason's stomach did a flip. He felt like he might hurl. “Oh my god, Demeter has a very twisted sense of revenge.”

“It wasn't for you!” Nico began to flail his arms. “I tried to warn you!”

He did, Jason would admit that. The blue-eyed boy let out a sigh, rubbing his stomach gently.

“It's sort of why everyone was having bad luck,” Nico added.

The taller of the two buried his face in his hands. “I really don't feel well,” he groaned.

Nico reached over and rubbed his back. “She felt really bad about it when she found out you ate some of it.” Nico pressed his lips together. “And I sort of slipped you some herbs in your lunch when you weren't looking, so that it would dull the curse that Demeter had put in the cobbler. That's why you didn't end up in the hospital.”

He had to sit there, rubbing his temples, for a moment. This was a lot to take in. Jason was beginning to sound repetitive, but he would like anyone else to do better in this situation. While he still was not scared of them, he was beginning to wonder if it was safe to eat anything around them ever again. And then Jason paled even more. Crap, he was supposed to be having dinner at Nico's house soon. He groaned.

“It's not like she's trying to poison you,” Nico said with a roll of his eyes.

Jason turned to retort to that comment, but a sharp pain shot through his head. The boy shut his eyes as the pain only increased. And when he opened his eyes, Jason found that they were in Salem. Well, they weren't, but it was what Jason was seeing.

It was dark, and it looked like most people had turned in for the night. But out from a lone barn came the girl that had been hanged. And not far behind her were Kronos and Tartarus. Kronos flicked his wrist and the girl spun around, hovering slightly in the air.

Kronos rested his hands on his knees in an attempt to catch his breath. His shirt was disheveled and his hair was wildly messy. “Circe, wait!”

The girl's foot finally came in contact with the ground again. She glared hatefully at Kronos, Tartarus refusing to look at her. “Thou hath broken an oath, Kronos!”

“Twas not like that!”

Circe sneered. “Spare me your lies. Thou are just like thy mother.”

Kronos glared and reeled his hand back, striking the girl across the cheek. Tartarus shot forward and took hold of the girl. “You didn't have to hit her!” He yelled.

The girl shoved the pale boy off of her. “Get away from me. Thou are not my brother!”

“Circe,” Tartarus pleaded. “Please, don't tell father.”

Reaching into her hair, the girl pulled out a small needle and pricked her finger. She then took her pricked finger and smeared her other wrist with the blood. “I shall not let you make a fool of me like this,” she hissed.

Kronos reached for her arm, but Circe jerked it away. Thunder boomed above them.

“I shall just have to grant thee thy wish then.” Circe's eyes turned black. “Blood unto blood, these two spirits are now mine,” she said slowly. A heavy gust swirled around them. “Soul tied to soul, do I eternally bind. Blood of your hearts, forever will be your doom.”

Kronos reached out for her again, but Circe spat in his face and ran off. As Kronos wiped at his face, thunder boomed again, the sky swirling with dark clouds. A bright flash of lightning caused Tartarus to flinch.

“Tartarus,” Kronos said softly, turning to face the other boy.

The brown-eyed boy rubbed at his arm. “She... she hath cursed us.” Kronos took a step closer. “She cursed us, Kronos! Do not act so calm.”

“I'm not,” Kronos said soothingly, slowly moving towards the other boy.

Tartarus slowly shook his head. “What hath she done?”

Kronos shot his arm out, but was only met with a cloud of smoke. The boy groaned and gripped his hair in frustration. “This isn't over,” the boy growled, his eyes flashing gold as he glared in the direction Circe had run.

“Jason!”

The blond jerked as he felt Nico's hands grab his shoulders and shook him. The boy let out a long breath, his forehead now covered in sweat. “What happened?” He whispered.

Nico shifted slightly. “You tell me. You zoned out for a good five minutes.”

As much as he had not wanted to sound like a loon, somehow Jason suspected that Nico would not have a problem believing what he was going to say. “Um, I don't know how to tell you this, but I think I have been dreaming about your ancestor.” Jason pointed a shaky finger over to a specific tombstone. “Tartarus. He moved here from Salem, didn't he?”

“How... How did you know that?” Nico shifted, placing his legs underneath him. He looked significantly paler than he had a second ago. “That's not possible.”

“He looked like you.”

Nico closed his mouth, pressing his lips into a thin line. “Okay, so maybe you have.” He took in a breath. “This doesn't make any sense,” the boy whispered. “It-it has to be a coincidence. You... There isn't any way... He...” Nico pursed his lips and pulled away from Jason, mumbling under his breath.

“Well, I mean,” Jason began, “it all started happening after I moved here.” Nico gave a nod, urging Jason to continue. “And, I mean, it's not the only weird thing. I think Ms. Mellie's house is haunted, because stuff moves around and things shut on their own when I'm not looking sometimes. And then, the other night, this old woman jumped on me in my bed, and I swear she looked like a corpse.”

“So glad you're getting laid by an old lady,” Nico mumbled. Jason shot him a glare. Nico waved his hands. “Sorry, sorry.” He stood up and began to pace, tapping his finger to his lips. “This is very strange. If I didn't know any better, I'd think someone has decided to haunt you.”

“The old lady?”

Nico quickly shook his head. “No. To be there naturally, the spirit would have had to die there, and I can't recall anyone dying in that house. It isn't even that old. Maybe forty years?” The boy let out a sigh. “I think it's best if I take a closer look at the house.”

Jason had to smile at that. “How about dinner as well?”

“Not the time,” Nico mumbled. He gave the other boy a serious look. “Then maybe that would explain your dreams. Whoever put that spirit in the house could have put those dreams in your head.” Jason observed as the boy's eyes darkened. “After I'm done looking at the house, and I find out it's true, I'm going to be having a very long conversation with Medea.”

Jason pulled his knees up to his chest. “You think she did this?”

“Seems like her thing to do. Torment the new kid in town,” Nico sighed. “She probably slipped something onto you, maybe in your pants or backpack. Think of it as a hexed object.”

They end up sitting there until the sun started to come up. Jason smiled as the two of them sat there in silence, simply watching the sun's first light come over the horizon. After their discussion about the possible ghost in Jason's apartment, the two had moved on to different topics. But the only real thing that the blond had taken interest in was when he had asked Nico about there seeming to be some conflict between him and Apollo.

“It's a long story,” Nico had sighed. “Alabaster cheated on me with Apollo, but I disliked Apollo before that even happened.”

“What happened?” Jason had asked.

“Something I could never forgive,” was the only answer Jason had received.

Jason let out a long sigh, looking over at the brown-eyed boy. He was so beautiful, the way the light hit his dark features just right. But now that sun was up, Nico seemed less energetic, and not just from a lack of sleep. He just seemed... drained.

“Thanks for talking with me,” Jason said, smiling at the other boy.

“Yeah.” Nico tossed some grass to the side before looking back at Jason. “Thank you... for not freaking out and hating us.”

Just then, Nico became very tense. The boy shot to his feet and spun around several times, searching through the woods. Jason furrowed his brow, slowly climbing to his feet as well.

“Shit,” Nico cursed under his breath. Running a hand through his hair, Nico grabbed Jason and a darkness enveloped them.

Jason honestly did not know how to explain it. It was like his body just simply ceased to be for a split second before he and Nico appeared somewhere else entirely in the woods. He did feel cold now, though, like all the heat in his body had been sucked out of him. And he felt... well, he felt like death. Nico's hand, though... Nico's hand felt so warm, like the sun's light. It seemed to pull Jason in from slipping too far into the darkness.

Nico pushed against Jason's back. “You need to go,” the boy said urgently. Jason tried to argue, but Nico kept pushing. “I'll see you at school in a few hours, but you really need to go. Right now!”

Jason frowned. “Why? What's going on?”

“No time to explain,” Nico hissed.

Perhaps it wasn't the best of times, but Jason had an epiphany. He grinned. “So, is this why you lied about liking me?” He felt Nico tense up behind him.

Chancing a look, Jason found that Nico was blushing. “Wh-what are you talking about?” Nico stuttered. “I didn't-”

“I overheard you and Luke talking,” Jason chuckled. “And I think it's because you were afraid I would freak out that you were a wi—I mean, warlock.”

Nico blew at his bangs and pushed Jason harder, trying to get the boy to move as fast as he could. “Don't be stupid.”

Jason grinned again. “Well, you don't have anything to worry about. I accept you for what you are, and I really don't care.”

Nico slowed to a stop. Jason turned to find the boy staring down at his feet. “I-” Nico stopped when the two heard a loud bark and some rustling leaves. Nico shoved Jason again. “This isn't the time, Jason.”

That did not stop Jason from grinning like a fool. “Go out with me. Tonight?”

Nico bit down on his lip, a brief pause from his struggle to get Jason to leave. But with another bark, the boy tensed and pushed Jason again. “You need to go.”

“Go out with me,” Jason repeated, turning to face the other boy.

Nico's hands were now pressing against Jason's chest. “I-” Another bark. He looked up at Jason. “If I agree, will you leave right now?”

Jason's smile only widened. “Yes, I promise.” Nico gave him a nod and that was all the confirmation that he needed. Pumping his fist in the air, Jason let out a, “Yes!”

Nico just rolled his eyes and gave Jason a hard shove. “Now go.”

Still grinning, Jason jogged down a small hill and slipped behind a large tree to continue his journey through the woods. But then he heard a thundering roar getting closer and he ducked behind a tree. He peered around the trunk of the tree to catch sight of Nico slipping his hands into his pockets as he walked onto the dirt path that led through the woods.

Jason's eyes widened as a large, familiar black dog jumped forth from the trunk of the tree closest to Nico. The boy did not seem to be startled at all as the dog bounded around him, barking loudly and wagging its tail. And it was then that Jason realized where he had seen it before.

It was the same dog that Jason had seen around the woods of Luke's house on Percy's birthday. The dog was massive, coming up to Nico's waist with ease. And its paws looked like the size of fists. But the dog just crouched forward on its front legs and barked eagerly up at Nico.

“I was just out for a walk,” Nico sighed. The dog barked again. “Yeah, yeah. Come on, Cerberus.” The dog barked as the boy took off walking down the road. “I really don't want to go to school today.”

All seemed fine, until the dog came to a halt and turned its head to stare into the woods. Right in the direction of where Jason was crouched behind a tree. Although, whether the beast could see him or not, Jason had no idea. But the dog still growled, showing off its massive fangs.

Crouching down next to Cerberus, Nico scratched under its chin. “Come on, boy. How about I sneak you a nice juicy steak tonight after dinner?” The dog barked happily and bounded off down the road, completely forgetting about whatever it had been that might have given Jason away. Standing back to his feet, Nico glared in Jason's direction and pointed into the distance, letting the blond know that it was time for him to leave.

\-------------------------------

Jason groaned and dragged his feet along the sidewalk. As he had not been able to get any more sleep, Jason honestly did not trust himself behind the wheel of his car. By the time he had gotten back to his place, he had barely had enough time to grab a shower and get ready for school. Jason was starting to feel lightheaded, and he was not sure if he was going to be able to handle school today. And that wasn't even counting practice.

As he crossed the lawn of the school, Jason took notice of the flashing lights of an ambulance and some police cars. Frowning to himself, Jason mustered up the strength to jog over to where a crowd of students and faculty was forming.

A lot of the back lines were attempting to peer over the crowd, though Jason—even with his height advantage—was unable to see anything. But there was definitely something burning, he could smell it. And, unfortunately, he had smelled this before. Burning flesh.

It was at this time that Jason spotted Nico and the others standing a good distance away from the rest of the crowd. Jason slowly made his way over to them.

“Hey,” Jason greeted them. He motioned over his shoulder. “What happened?”

“Another pastor was murdered,” Annabeth whispered. As she talked, the blond worked on helping shepherding those that were probably less capable of fighting into a circle.

Nico did not look like he was comfortable in such a close space, so Jason helped him squeeze out. Percy shot Jason a glare, but Luke did not seem to mind as much. The older blond eyed Jason for a second before returning his attention to the rest of the students.

“Strung up on the flag pole,” Nico mumbled, brushing himself off.

Percy gave a grunt. “We should get everyone home.”

“But school,” Malcolm protested.

Luke let out a sigh. “I have to agree with Percy, I don't think it's best for us to be here right-”

“You monsters!” Came the first angry voice. Luke let out a sigh.

Jason turned towards the crowd, his eyes locking on to where the paramedics were carting away a body bag. Nico, however, did not seem very concerned with the angry mob that was starting to turn on them. The boy just blinked up at Jason and said, “You look like shit.”

Jason narrowed his eyes at the boy. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

Nico's attention was finally drawn away when a rock came in contact with his cheek. The boy hissed and stumbled backwards. Luke's eyes were like daggers, as the blond moved forward to try and fight whoever threw the rock, though Jason was not sure how Luke intended to pick anyone out from all the angry faces that were there.

Reyna, Leo, Medea, and Percy joined Luke on the front lines. Out from her backpack, Medea pulled a pair of brass knuckles, which seemed to deter several of the kids in the front. Annabeth had crouched down where Nico had fell, her eyes a mixture of concern and fury.

Percy's hand clamped down on Jason's shoulder, his eyes a raging storm of anger. He pointed a finger at the blue-eyed boy and said, “Grace, you with me?”

Nico and Jason exchanged a look, where Nico shook his head with a warning look, but Jason wasn't about to listen either. Jason nodded at Percy and took off with the green-eyed boy. Before Luke could catch them, Percy had shot past and planted his fist into the face of the first person he could reach. And that was all the motivation everyone needed to break out into a full fight.

“Fuck yeah!” Medea yelled as she dove into the fray.

Jason had been right there beside them, and he quickly delivered a quick punch to someone that he believed was on his baseball team. Too late to rethink things now, he told himself.

“Enough!”

The kids quickly froze at the sound of an angry Hestia. The woman stood there with a frustrated look on her face, her hair tied back into a tight knot. It did not matter which side each kid was on, they quickly backed away from each other and averted their gaze from the young woman as she stared at each of them with disappointment.

“You should all be ashamed of yourselves,” she said, shaking her head. “Someone died today, and we're all ready to jump to pointing fingers and violence. Neither of which is the answer.” She pointed in both directions, signaling that she wanted the sides to disperse. The kids quietly obeyed. “Expect that each of your parents will be notified by the time you get home today.”

The way the woman wielded guilt, they should stick her in the army or something, Jason thought.

With her lips pursed, Hestia walked over to Nico and helped the boy to his feet. After a quick inspection of his cheek, the woman urged him to stand back. “Now then,” she continued, “I'm sure the police will get to the bottom of this, so there is no need to get violent.”

When a throat cleared, most of the student body turned their attention to where Chiron was standing near the flag pole. “In light of today's events, I am canceling school for today. If you need to call your parents, please move to the office to make a call, or use your cellular devices that we all know you keep in your pockets. Either way, the police would like to ask that the area of the flag pole be cleared. I shall see you all bright and early Monday morning.” With that, he placed his hands behind his back and disappeared into the school building.

There was a lot of grumbling from everyone as the courtyard of the school was emptied. A lot of the kids moved towards the parking lot to take their car and head home. Some followed after where Chiron and most of the faculty went. But Jason, he followed after Luke and the others. Well, at least until Kinzie stopped him.

The girl did not look pleased. “Jason, how could you defend them like that back there?” She huffed and adjusted the strap of her backpack. “We all know they were behind it.”

“You don't,” Jason interjected.

The girl pursed her lips. “Khione told me something interesting last night. Is it true?”

Jason glanced after Luke and the others. While most had continued towards the parking lot, Luke, Annabeth, and Nico were waiting for him by the glass doors of the cafeteria. The blue-eyed boy turned his attention back to Kinzie. “If she said I was bisexual, then yes, it's true.”

To put it lightly, Kinzie looked shocked. “Well, I mean, are you sure you're not just confused?” She placed a hand on Jason's arm. “Perhaps if you came and prayed about it.”

“Yeah, not really the praying type.”

“Jason, I just don't want you to end up going to hell.” She lowered her voice as she looked around them. “Being gay is a sin.”

Jason couldn't help it, he cracked a grin. “So I'm only half a sinner?”

The girl bristled. “This isn't a joke,” Kinzie hissed.

“I'm not joking.” Jason shrugged. “I'm sorry if you liked me, but I sort of like someone else.”

Perhaps Jason could have been a little gentler. He felt bad now, due to the sad look he could see in her eyes. “So Khione was right? You like the di Angelo boy?” She asked. Jason gave a small nod. “But he's... weird. Weirder than the rest of them. He talks to himself.”

That was right, Jason needed to ask about that rumor. “He seems fine to me.” Jason motioned over his shoulder. “They all do, once you get to know them.”

She placed her hand on his shoulder. “That's because they have you under their spell.” She looked so convinced of it, too. But Jason just arched a brow at her. “I'll be praying for you, Jason. If you change your mind, our doors at church are always open to you. I hope I can save you before it's too late.”

The blue-eyed boy smiled at her. Even though she was being a little dumb, Jason appreciated at least that she cared about her friends. “Thank you, Kinzie. I'm fine, though, but I do appreciate the concern.”

The auburn-haired girl gave a small nod, chancing a small glance over Jason's shoulder to where Luke, Annabeth, and Nico stood. Jason turned and headed over to them, smiling at the annoyed look on Nico's face. He could only hope that was jealousy. Normally, Jason was not the type to like jealousy, but in this case he would make an exception. Because, if Nico was jealous, it meant he had a shot.

“So, do you guys know what happened?” Jason asked once he was close enough.

Annabeth shook her head. “Not a clue.”

Nico continued with his glaring. “What did she want?”

Jason grinned down at the boy. “Aw, don't worry, I'm all yours.”

That caused a stir in color from Nico's cheeks. Luke grinned and clapped Nico on the back. “Thanks for helping out back there,” the blue-eyed boy said, clasping hands with Jason.

Nico crossed his arms. “None of you should have gotten involved.” He punched Luke's shoulder. “You're supposed to listen, that's how it works.”

Jason quirked a brow. Luke shrugged back at him. “Nico doesn't like dealing out authority, so he has me and Reyna do it for him.” Luke chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. “Reyna isn't a First like we are, but nobody really wants to tell her no.”

Nico flailed his arms. “Shut up! I'm not in charge.”

“Not yet,” Annabeth mumbled, grinning over at Luke. She held a hand out when Nico attempted to tackle her, holding the boy back by the forehead. “Our parents think someone has been trying to frame us.” She looked up at Luke with a ponderous look. “You think that might have been why they were so concerned with the graveyard a while back?”

“Probably.” Luke rubbed at his neck. “Either way, they have to be magical.”

“Why do you say that?” Jason asked, making sure to keep his voice down.

Luke motioned for them to walk. “Because, in the first attack, you could smell sulfur. Only people with magic can burn someone to such a degree.” The blond scrunched his lips. “From what we got to see of the body, our parents said that it might have been something for a dark ritual.”

“I thought you guys weren't evil?”

Nico knocked away Luke's hand, who was trying to inspect Nico's cheek. “We're not, but that doesn't mean there aren't people out there with magic and the intention to use it for the wrong reasons.”

Annabeth nodded. “And we have a lot of people that don't like us.”

Luke cracked a grin at Jason. “Our families date back to the dark ages. You can build up quite a long list of enemies after such a long time.”

When they reached Luke's car, Percy and Frank were leaning against the door. The green-eyed boy straightened and smiled at Jason, clapping him on the shoulder. “Nice work back there, man.”

Jason chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Wasn't any trouble.”

Annabeth arched a brow. “Everything okay?”

“Just worried about Apollo knowing,” Frank sighed.

Nico rubbed his temple. “Just make sure nobody else knows. It stays within the Firsts. The fewer people that know, the better.” The boy shook his head. “It's already dangerous enough with Apollo knowing.”

Frank pursed his lips at the boy. “Thanks for the trust.”

Nico glared back at the Asian boy. Luke sighed and stepped in between the two before they could argue. He shook his head at Jason with a smile. Annabeth shoved Nico's face, pushing the boy back so that she could talk to Percy and Frank. “We were just talking about the attacks, and how our parents suspect foul play.”

“Or it could be the curse,” Frank mumbled.

That drew Jason's attention. “Curse? What curse?”

“Nothing.” Annabeth shot Frank a look. “Frank's just being silly.” She sighed and rubbed her neck. “I did not get enough sleep to deal with this so early in the morning.”

Luke nodded. “I think we should all go home and get some sleep.”

Before Nico could move to get into Luke's car, Jason caught his arm. “Um, so, do you still want to come over tonight?” He asked. Nico chewed on his lip. “I mean, you know, to check the house over.”

Percy opened his mouth to make a joke, but Annabeth cleared her throat and the tan boy grumbled to himself. Nico narrowed his eyes playfully. “Uh-huh. Nice save.” He sighed and rubbed his face. “Well, I definitely need some sleep, and I think it's a bad idea for me to be in the town for dinner, if you were wanting to do that.”

Jason shook his head. “No, we can eat at my place, since you were wanting to have a look at it.”

Nico shifted his weight. All eyes were on the two boys. Nico opened his mouth to give an answer, but received a small nudge from Luke. The blond looked innocently away when Nico turned to glare at him. Nico let out a sigh. “Fine, I'll be over around seven.” He glared at Luke again. “Happy?”

“Very much,” Luke replied with a grin.

Annabeth shoved a pouting Percy towards a car parked beside Luke. Percy pulled out a set of keys and mumbled something to Nico with a grin, who just rolled his eyes and shoved the older boy's face away. Annabeth slid into the passenger seat of Percy's car.

But Luke stopped Jason before he could walk off. Looking to make sure the others weren't listening, Luke leaned in. “Thank you for being patient with him. He's... had a rough past when it comes to guys. Alabaster cheated on him, and Percy... well, we'll talk about him later.” The blond grinned and rubbed Jason's shoulders. “But I've been rooting for you, even though you thought I was competition.” Luke grinned again when Jason blushed. “Yeah, Nico told me. But, I'll have you know, I was pushing for you since day one.”

“Thanks,” Jason mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

Luke gave a nod and pulled his car key from the set of keys that were in his hand. “If you have any problems, come to me. I know Nico like the back of my hand, and I'll be glad to help you out if he's giving you trouble.” He gave serious look when Jason chuckled. “I'm serious, you're going to be coming to me. A lot.”

Jason nodded his head. “I'll keep that in mind.” He let out a yawn. “I think I could use some sleep as well.”

Luke stuck his tongue out with a grin. “Yeah, I suppose so, since Nico kept you up all night.”

Jason blushed as Luke climbed into his car, instantly being bombarded by Nico with questions, if Jason had to guess. The blue-eyed boy let out a groan and turned around, heading in the direction of Ms. Mellie's house. He just wanted to collapse and sleep the day away, but he knew that he'd have to get up at some point to clean and make sure Ms. Mellie was okay with cooking something. Jason wanted tonight to be amazing. Well, as amazing as it could be when dealing with a haunting.

Shit. How was Jason going to deal with Ms. Mellie being in the house while Nico did his thing?

\----------------------------------

Nico ended up coming over half an hour early. When he arrived, Jason poked his head outside the door and spotted a black sports car next to where his car was parked. “What, you didn't just teleport here?” He asked, peering over his shoulder to make sure Ms. Mellie didn't hear him from the kitchen.

The boy shook his head as he slipped past Jason. “Maybe if you were alone,” the brown-eyed boy whispered with a smirk. He threw on a smile when Ms. Mellie turned around. “Hey, Ms. Mellie. Thanks for having me over.”

The woman waved him off. “It's no trouble at all, sweetie.”

Jason slipped his hands into his pockets and leaned forward to talk in a hushed voice with Nico. “So, what do you want to do about the haunting thing? I don't imagine any ghost will want to go peacefully.”

“We can wait until she goes to bed.” The boy shrugged when Jason tilted his head to the side. “Just tell her we are working on homework.” He grinned up at the blond. “Maybe I'll show you how to carry your own weight in Home Ec.”

“Ha ha, you're so funny,” Jason mumbled.

“Oh, Nico, I meant to ask,” Mellie interrupted them, “how is Mrs. Zhang doing?”

Jason glanced at Nico. “Frank's mom?”

The boy shook his head. “She died in the war.” He sat down at the table. “Ares hasn't remarried yet. No shocker there, as you saw at Percy's birthday.” Ms. Mellie tutted and shook her head, which Nico smiled at. “However, he's nice enough to let Frank's grandmother stay in the house with them.”

“That's nice of him,” Jason said, peering over Ms. Mellie's shoulder to look at the food. She swatted his hand when he tried to pick up a carrot.

“You'd be really impressed if you knew Ares.”

Dinner went over pretty smoothly. It always seemed to amaze Jason at how Ms. Mellie never showed any hostility or discomfort around Nico. Or any of them, really. Maybe she was just too nice for her own good. They carried on completely normal conversations all through dinner. Ms. Mellie had cooked a beef stew loaded with vegetables. She had also made some coleslaw, which Jason figured was a pattern with a lot of Southern meals.

“I've been meaning to ask him, but could you get Poseidon to get me a heaping of catfish when he can?” Ms. Mellie asked Nico as they cleared the table. “I haven't had the chance to let Jason try any yet. Or gumbo. I guess I could use some shrimp as well.”

“Of course,” Nico said with a smile. He glanced over at Jason, who had an uneasy expression. “You'll like it. Cajun food is good.”

“It's a shame Marie isn't around anymore.” Mellie turned on the faucet and began scrubbing the dishes. “She always made and sold the best gumbo around.”

“Hazel's mom,” Nico whispered when Jason looked at him in confusion.

“Um, I think Nico and I are going to go to my room and work on some homework,” Jason announced.

“Okay, you two have fun.” Ms. Mellie chuckled a little and turned to glance at them. “Not too much fun, though.”

Both Nico and Jason's faces turned red. The blond pushed Nico down the hall and into his room, where he shut the door. Nico paced around for a few seconds, looking Jason's room over. It was actually the first time Nico had been in his room. The boy had been over several times, but they usually stayed in the living room.

When Nico sat down on Jason's bed, Jason crossed his arms. “How come you didn't sense the ghost before?”

Nico gave a casual shrug. “Dunno. Like I said, it's probably tied to an object. Ghosts tethered to an object are harder to detect when they are hiding, and I wasn't exactly trying to sense anything.” Nico's dark eyes roamed the blond's walls. “It probably sensed me coming in the house and retreated to whatever object it's bound to.”

“But you should be able to get rid of it no problem?”

“Best case scenario,” Nico muttered. “It could potentially want to resist. That would require an exorcism.” Nico smirked when Jason raised a brow. “Where do you think priests learned it from? Possessions and hauntings have been a problem for years, so witches and warlocks gave a little knowledge, so that mortals could defend themselves.”

Sighing, Jason sat down next to Nico. “So, what's the worst case scenario?”

Nico's lips slowly tilted down, the happiness that had once adorned his face melting away. “Let's just hope a ghost is all it is. If I can't control it... it's not a ghost.” The boy hopped up from the bed and walked over to Jason's dresser, where he opened a book that Jason had been reading. “A ghost would be the least of your problems.”

“What, you think it could be a demon?”

“Don't call them demons,” Nico snapped back. He let out a breath and shut the book. “Sorry. They just hate being referred to as just demons, or angels.”

“What?”

“Nothing,” Nico whispered. “We will worry about that possibility if we get to it.”

Jason cleared his throat and stood up, stepping over to the door. “Can I get you anything to drink? I figure it'll be a few more hours before Ms. Mellie goes to bed.”

Nico smiled a little. “Just some water.”

Nodding, Jason opened the door. “We have plenty of sweet tea. I swear, it's like everywhere down here. What's the deal with that anyways?”

Nico chuckled and opened Jason's closet, probably searching for the source of the haunting. “It's just a southern thing. Personally, I hate sweet tea.”

When Jason returned from the kitchen, he found Nico standing in front of his bed with his back to Jason. The blue-eyed boy tilted his head to the side, reaching out to place a hand on Nico's shoulder. The boy spun around, nearly startling Jason. Nico's eyes were like the void, pure black that seemed to suck all light inside. Jason found it very hard to look away, until Nico blinked his eyes and they returned to their normal brown color.

“Sorry,” Nico mumbled, rubbing his eyes. “Just trying to find your ghost. It's definitely here, just not wanting to listen.” He tapped a finger against his lips. “Strange.”

“Oh.” Jason stepped aside as Nico walked into the closet. Frowning, Jason placed the bottle of water he had gotten for Nico and placed it on his bed before opening his own bottle of lemonade. “That reminds me, what's up with this rumor that you talk to yourself?”

“Well,” Nico replied, yanking back the blinds and inspecting the window at the foot of Jason's bed, “it's because sometimes ghosts wander around at school. And, unlike our coven, normal people can't see them.”

“Wait.” Jason held his hands up in a timeout motion. “Everyone in the coven can see ghosts?”

“Um.” Nico pressed his lips together, like he was trying to gather the right words. “Yes, but only in the broad sense. They can see ghosts, through training, but they can't command them. Every family has their own unique magic, yes, but we also share the broadest aspects of those magics with the other families. Like, for example, I can heal a cut, but Apollo can bring someone back from the brink of death.”

Jason gave a nod of understanding. “So how did I see the old lady?”

“Ah, well, there is always the exception to the rule.” Nico stood up from checking under the bed. “If you are being haunted, the ghost can then manifest itself enough to give the person it is haunting a scare.” The boy pushed past Jason. “But never for very long.”

They waited until Ms. Mellie went to bed to do anything else. After waiting a good thirty minutes after hearing her bedroom door shut, Jason left his room to slip into Ms. Mellie's room to put a pouch that Nico had given him under the woman's pillow. Apparently, it would make sure she didn't wake up while they worked. While he was gone, there was a thud that came from his room. Jason rushed back to his room as fast as he could.

“Um, what was-”

His bed had collapsed onto the floor. Nico just stood there, his hands on his hips. “The ghost is not happy that I'm here,” Nico replied casually. Without even looking away from the bed, Nico tossed his hand out in the air and Jason caught sight of faint wisps.

Where there was once nothing, a neck soon formed and slowly a body came into being, Nico holding it in place in the air. Jason paled as he soon recognized the horrid face of the old woman that had nearly given him a heart attack the other night. She struggled, like Nico's fingers burned her throat. Apparently they did, as smoke soon began to come off of the places where Nico's fingers touched her neck.

With a toss, Nico flung the ghost against the back wall, where she surprisingly made contact with it. Nico's eyes were dull as he watched the ghost scratch at the wall. “You're not going anywhere,” he said darkly. “I forbid you from dissipating until I get some answers.” Nico crossed his arms and sat down on Jason's bed. “Now then, tell me who summoned you here.”

A very creepy, scratchy laugh emitted from the old woman's throat. She slowly turned to face the two boys, a small worm attempting to embed itself in the woman's cheek. Jason pointed to his own cheek. “You've got a little something, right here.”

The woman hissed at him, her teeth horrid and rotten. But when she went to attack the blond, Nico flung his arm and sent her crashing back into the wall. However, the woman just threw her head back and laughed in Nico's face. “You are out of your league here, boy. Too afraid to use what was given to you.”

Nico's eyes turned black again and he shot up, extending his hand. The image of the woman began to flicker and turn smokey. She hissed at him, but was unable to move away from the wall. “Tell me!” Nico demanded.

“No!” She wailed, scratching at her face. “Please! She will- Ah!” The woman screamed in agony as a red branding mark appeared on her forehead. “She is watching!”

Nico locked his jaw and his palm flattened. He began chanting, though Jason was unable to decipher what it was. Either way, a dark aura appeared around Nico, and from every shadow of the room came snake-like tendrils with skulls for heads. Each impaled the ghost and wrapped around her, their ends sinking into the floor. Slowly, the ghost began to sink down.

The old woman clawed at the walls as the a circle opened up in Jason's floor. The boy's blue eyes widened. Ghostly and skeletal hands reached out of the circle and grabbed on to the woman's ankles, pulling her down to them.

“Then I banish you in order to relinquish you from this control,” Nico hissed out. “Be gone from this world and never return. Your soul be damned for all eternity.”

“No!” The woman screamed, gnashing her rotten teeth at them before she was ripped down into Jason's floor, the floor shutting closed as soon as she was gone. Nico sighed and fell back onto Jason's bed, pressing a hand to his head.

The blue-eyed boy sat down beside him. “You okay?”

Nico gave a small nod. “Yeah, I just hate having to do that, takes a lot out of me.”

Jason gulped and looked at the floor. “You can't... do that to living people, can you?”

The boy rubbed his eyes. “Sure, if I wanted to end up in a coma for nearly a week. Magic isn't always just snap your fingers and make something happen, Jason, there are consequences most of the time. However, this was a different matter. My family possesses dominion over the dead, so I suffer nothing by what I did.”

“Right,” Jason whispered. “Well, I guess I should go retrieve that pouch, but are you going to be okay?”

Nico massaged the bridge of his nose, holding out his other hand. Jason helped him up. “I'll be fine, I just need to eat something. Maybe have something to drink.”

Jason grinned. “I can help with that.”

Nico followed after Jason, sitting on the couch while he let Jason warm up some leftovers from dinner. Jason let out a chuckle when he heard Nico's stomach growl. After a moment, Jason glanced over at the boy and found Nico laying down with his arm over his eyes. He smiled at that. The other boy was so adorable, even after being extremely terrifying. But Jason, regardless of what his instincts tried to tell him, felt completely safe around Nico. The brown-eyed boy did not seem to want to hurt him, so why should he fear Nico?

He quirked a brow when Nico let out a groan. “It doesn't make any sense! I'm supposed to have dominion over the dead.” Nico shot up and frowned at a random spot in the carpet. “Who branded her?”

“Medea?” Jason offered.

Nico gave him a look that made him feel stupid. “Don't be ridiculous, Jason. My father and I can't be outdone by something the girls in my house come up with.”

The blue-eyed boy quirked a brow at Nico. “You sure she wasn't that other thing you were talking about?”

Nico let out a sigh and collapsed back onto his back. “No, I'm certain that she wasn't a nephilim. Thankfully.” Nico scrunched his lips. “My father and I can't really control those.”

“Isn't a nephilim some kind of hybrid? Like demon and human, or the other way around?”

“It's where people got the concepts for angels and demons,” Nico explained. Jason nodded. “We don't like to talk about them. They are like fae. And, when I say that, I mean what fairies used to be in legends. Stealing your firstborn, and stuff like that.” The boy let out a long breath. “But it doesn't matter, because that was a regular ghost. The branding on her head was what stopped her from bending to my will.” He shook his head. “I need to do some research on this. Something isn't right.”

Jason smiled and put their food in bowls. “Well, how about we not think about that right now. You seem a little upset over it, plus you are hungry, so why don't we eat and watch a movies.”

Nico sighed, but nodded his head and got up. He took a bowl of food from Jason and curled back up on the couch. Jason smiled, sitting down next to the boy and letting their shoulders brush against each other.

The movies had been a good distraction for Nico, though perhaps not the best choices by Jason. Two in particular, which had both included witches. Nico just placed his legs underneath him and sat up to tell Jason everything that was wrong with the movies.

“Okay, first of all, their depictions of witches is offensive,” the boy began. Jason grinned and sat back to listen. “First of all, I've never seen a single witch with any kind of wart. I mean, we have magic, so we can kind of fix things like that. Second, we can't fly, even on broomsticks.”

“It's just a movie,” Jason chuckled. “I didn't get to watch any horror movies last night.”

Nico huffed and crossed his arms. “We don't even wear pointy hats.”

Jason grinned, slipping his arm behind Nico's back, which seemed to go unnoticed by the irritated boy. “I'm sure you don't.”

Jason eventually had to change the movie, because Nico refused to watch it.

He shook his head with a chuckle, leaning forward to change DVDs. “It's just a movie, learn to laugh at yourself a little.”

Nico pointed to the TV. “I don't mind movies about witches, when they don't depict us to be such bad people. And ugly, to top it all off.” He motioned to himself. “I mean, do I look like that? I know I'm probably not the best looking-”

“I think you're cute,” Jason replied, sitting back down on the couch to start the next movie. Nico blushed a little. Jason smiled and rested a hand on Nico's knee and rubbed his thumb against the pale skin there. “Just enjoy the movies for what they are.”

Nico's eyes watched Jason's hand, but thankfully did not remove it. He sighed and sat back, leaning ever so slightly towards the blond. The blue-eyed boy grinned in the darkness as he leaned his shoulder against Nico's. Inside his head, Jason was still trying to process everything he had learned since last night, but he knew one thing for sure. He still liked Nico. To him, Nico was the same kid that he had known since his arrival in this town. A little rough around the edges perhaps, but still a nice guy.

But the one thing he could not understand was how he felt drawn to Nico.

Even now, with them sitting so close, Jason wanted nothing more than to reach out and pull Nico closer to him, until they were laying down on the couch with Nico resting his head on Jason's chest and their legs intertwined. But Jason just licked his lips and tried to focus on the movie.

Which proved to be harder than it should have been.

Everything Nico did, Jason found himself hyper-aware of. A simple stretch, a yawn, or even the shift of the boy's legs, each movement drew Jason's attention to the smaller boy. Once or twice, Nico caught him and gave him a quizzical look. Jason just smiled and went back to watching the movie.

Before Jason knew it, Nico was getting up to leave. With a quick glance at the clock, Jason found that it was already after three. He cursed under his breath and got up to walk Nico to the door. Nico stopped at the door and turned to face Jason, a small smile touching at his lips.

“I did have a nice time tonight, those offensive movies aside,” Nico said.

Jason leaned against the door. “Well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself then.”

Nico nodded. “And, hopefully, that should put an end to your ghost problems.” He pressed his palm to Jason's head. “Although, I'm uncertain about those dreams. Let me know if they continue. If they do, I'll see about getting Katie to brew you up something to help you sleep.”

The blue-eyed boy chuckled. “Thanks.”

Nico pursed his lips, letting his hand drop from Jason's head. “But I'm not sure if we should continue with... this.”

Jason was no longer smiling, at a loss for words. He felt hurt, like a knife was stabbing him in the heart. Jason pressed his hand to the door when Nico moved to open it. “I'm not scared of you, if that's what you're afraid of,” Jason quickly reasoned.

“I-”

“And I'm not scared of you hurting me.” Reaching out with his other hand, Jason grabbed Nico's hand and squeezed it. “I really like you, Nico, and I don't care if you're a warlock or just some normal weird kid.”

Nico was glaring at him now. “I can control my powers, thank you very much.”

Jason fumbled as Nico ripped his hand away. “Wait,” he called out to Nico when the boy yanked the door open. “I didn't mean it like that, Nico. Please, wait.”

Nico huffed and stopped at the stairs, turning to face the blond. “What do you want, Jason?”

Jason stepped outside and rested a hand on the railing of the porch. “Just one chance, if you'll give me that.” He leaned across the railing, while Nico had his arms crossed on the lawn directly across from him. “I'll openly admit that I found myself feeling happy when I found out you were single, which surprised me after seeing you and Percy kiss.”

Nico looked very confused. Jason was beginning to think it was a pattern for when he asked about guys that he thought Nico was involved with. “What are you talking about? Percy and I haven't kissed since the spring.” He held a hand up when Jason went to interrupt him. “It was for a ritual, nothing more. We are blood brothers.” He let out a sigh. “Percy and I... I used to like him, but we aren't anything. We don't have any intention of being anything. We're just complicated.” The boy pursed his lips. “When exactly did you think you saw us kiss?”

“At the police station.”

There was a small nod of understanding from Nico. “Oh. We didn't kiss.” Nico came back onto the porch and cupped Jason's face, standing up on his tip-toes to be closer. “This is what he was doing.” Nico blew out a warm breath, which traveled into Jason's nose. A warm sensation instantly filled his very being. It felt... strange. “It's called the breath of life.”

Jason shook his head to clear away the weird sensation. “But why was he doing that to you?”

Biting down on his lip, Nico rubbed his arm. “It's a long story. I... have a bit of a problem.” He reached out and touched Jason. There was so much warmth, like Nico might have been burning up. Yet he seemed perfectly fine. “Just... long story short, I need a little help not falling into the darkness sometimes. It's like a temporary tether, the breath of life.” He glanced up at Jason from behind his bangs. “It's just... strange. Because I've been feeling more tethered recently. Like when you're around.”

Jason followed Nico a few steps as the boy walked across the lawn. “Why would that be?”

“I guess I have two things to figure out.” Nico turned to smile at Jason. “I do like you, Jason. I really do, but things are more complicated than you know. You might be immune to our curse, but there's more to being a warlock then you know currently.” With a sigh, Nico turned to leave.

Jason reached out and grabbed Nico before he could go. “Wait.” Nico quirked a brow at him. “Can I...” Jason kicked at the ground. “Can I at least see you tomorrow? I'd really like a chance.”

Nico was looking down at where Jason was holding his wrist. After a moment of silence, Jason let go and rubbed the back of his neck. Nico stared out into the distance. “I- This really is not a good idea, Jason.” That stung. But, much to Jason's surprise, Nico gave a nod. “I suppose you can see me tomorrow, though.” With a small smile up at Jason, Nico began walking to his car.

Jason grinned and fought the urge to pump his fist into the air. Instead, he did a little dance until Nico turned around to give him a weird look. Jason just grinned and waved back. “I'll call you tomorrow,” the blue-eyed boy called out.

Nico chuckled as he unlocked his car. “Good night, Jason.”

Jason finally held his hands up in the air in triumph once he was inside of the house. He could not stop grinning, and it was starting to hurt his face. Tonight was awesome. He just needed to play his cards right and show Nico that he wasn't going to hurt him.

Jason nearly cursed under his breath as he remembered that the pouch was still under Ms. Mellie's pillow. If he wanted her to wake up when her alarm went off, he needed to retrieve that pouch. Slowly and quietly, the blond opened her bedroom door and slipped a hand under the woman's pillow, pulling the pouch back out. Going into his room, Jason put it in the top drawer of his nightstand. He would need to give that back to Nico.

Still smiling, Jason pulled out his laptop and opened up a new tab before going to Google. He blew his lips and tapped his fingers lightly on the keyboard, unsure of what to type in. He knew what he wanted to look up, but Jason also knew how broad the search would be.

Regardless, Jason typed out five words, mumbling them as he typed it out. “Real witches and their coven.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there's that long chapter. The magic begins. I hope you all enjoyed it. I may try to put 11 and 12 our pretty quickly, because I'm very excited to get to 13 and 14. Also, I will have the main antagonist revealed when they go to New Orleans, which will be somewhere around 15 or 16. But this story has expanded so much from what I had in the original version, and I can assure you all that everything will be a hundred times better. There's more that I would love to talk about, but I don't want to write myself into a corner. I am excited, I will leave at that. I may even try to sell this off as a book when it's finished. Obviously names and descriptions would change. But I am super excited, because this story is going to have the heart of the south. Anyone that lives in the southern states of the United States will feel at home. And I just have always loved the mysticism and magic that comes with stories in the south. Voodoo, crossroads, and things like that. Yes, they date back to other cultures, but all of these things and more will be explored in the story. I can guarantee you that it's something that you should stick around for, and probably buy it if I can manage selling it.
> 
> All that being said, let me know how you liked the chapter. You can also follow me on tumblr at xsonofhadesx. I tend to post when I'm going to update, or announce new projects. That might be a good idea to follow me very soon. *hint hint*
> 
> And you can also feel free to message me on there, or ask me a question about anything that crosses your mind. Anyways, I'll see you all next time.


	11. Sparks Will Fly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet again, another long chapter. I added a scene at the beginning, which gave another 3 pages to what it was. I hope all of you are doing well in your finals, did do well, or will do well.

It rained most of the day Saturday. On top of that, Nico was running late. But that only gave Jason more time to sit with his laptop and browse everything witchcraft related online. Most of it was useless, given what Nico had told him, unless Nico had lied. It was possible, but he wanted to believe Nico was being sincere with him.

That being said, most what Jason found was exactly what Nico disliked. The majority of it called witches the servants of the devil, or had made some contract with him. There was a lot on Salem, but he did not trust any of that. From those dreams he kept having, it did not seem like the knowledge of history was as accurate as people wanted to believe. But there was one potential article that Jason ended up stumbling across.

There was a coven, one that practiced only an hour away from Aimes. For the past five minutes, Jason had just sat there and stared at a number that was on the website. He had never really understood what Nico had meant by “practicing” and “magical” witches. Well, there was the obvious answer for the magical side, but how was that any different than practicing?

Picking up his phone, Jason decided to take a chance.

There were a few missed calls and a single text message. The text was from Nico, letting the blue-eyed boy know that he would be another thirty minutes. He had yet to tell Jason what was holding him up. Two of the calls were from his aunt, which he'd have to call back at some point or she'd probably end up calling Ms. Mellie to check on him. And the rest were from Cecil and Lee, who were, judging by the voice mail that was left on Jason's phone, sad that they hadn't heard from Jason in a few weeks. Which was true, Jason had not spoken to them all month, but Jason had just been busy.

In truth, Jason had not been able to think much about Lee, especially not these past two days.

Jason needed to ask Nico about that. Thinking back on things, the blond had to wonder if some of them, particularly Aphrodite's brood, had tried to charm him in the past. Or with Nico, possibly because of the dreams, Jason ended up thinking about him a lot. Now that he knew they were magic, the pull that he felt towards Nico made him all the more curious. He felt safe with Nico around, and comfortable. It was... familiar. Something that he just could not put his finger on.

Clearing his head of that for the moment, Jason raised the phone to his ear after dialing the number he had found from the website. It took a few rings, and Jason was beginning to feel like no one was going to answer, but eventually the phone was picked up.

“Hello?” Came a woman's voice.

“Um, yes.” Jason tilted back the screen on his laptop to look at the website again. “I stumbled across your website, and I saw that you had a coven not far from where I am. And, well, I am sort of, um, doing a...” Jason thought for a moment, his eyes darting off to the side. “A study... on witchcraft and Wicca. And, well, I was wondering if you'd mind if I came and observed? I'm very curious to learn more about the subject.”

“Oh,” came the woman's cheerful voice. “Well, I must say, we don't get a request like that everyday. But, my son, I can assure you that we try not to turn anyone away that seeks the path of enlightenment.” She cleared her throat and Jason heard some papers being shuffled around. “In fact, we were planning on meeting tonight.”

“In the rain?” Jason frowned and looked out his window. It was still pouring down.

The woman gave a chuckle. “Oh, that won't stop us. Rain is part of nature, and we are one with the elements.”

“Okay,” Jason said hesitantly. He was considering bringing an umbrella. He let out a sigh, slapping a hand over his face. He had not packed one. “Okay, I'll be there. What time?”

“Well, we usually meet around seven or eight, but one of our members is returning from a trip and will be a little a late.” She paused for a moment, and Jason could hear her nails tapping against a wooden surface. “Let's make it nine.”

“Sounds good.” Jason let out a breath. “I'll see you then.”

Hanging up the phone, Jason groaned. He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell Nico about this little plan of his just yet. To be honest, Jason just wanted to try and learn without burdening Nico and the others with so many questions. This did not seem like an easy topic that any of them could have over coffee or a meal. They might not even be able to cover it all in a day or week.

Jason let out a curse. Where was he going to get an umbrella? There were a few stores around the downtown area that he could check out, but he had yet to see any shopping centers. Pulling his feet up onto the couch, Jason leaned back with his computer in his lap. Turning some music on, Jason leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

“Jason?” Ms. Mellie poked her head in the room. “Would you mind going with me down to the church?” She smiled when Jason groaned. “We won't stay long. I know you have your little date with Nico tonight, but-”

“It's not a date.” The blond could feel his face burning up.

“Whatever you say, sweetie.” Ms. Mellie smiled again as she stepped into the room. “It doesn't bother me any. Nico is a nice boy, and I'm glad you didn't take what your peers at school said about him or the others.”

“Thanks,” Jason mumbled.

“But they are having that funeral for the deceased pastor in a few hours, and I wanted to pay my respects. Would you mind going with me to drop a few things off? I made a lot of food, and it would save me a bunch of trips to and from my car.”

Jason smiled at the woman as he sat up. “Sure, Ms. Mellie.”

She waved him off. “Oh, Jason, we've been living with each other long enough now. I think it would be perfectly all right if you just called me Mellie.”

“Um, sure.” He smiled again, putting on his shoes. “It's okay if I don't stay, though? I do need to get back. Nico will be over in like twenty minutes.”

The woman gave a nod as they made their way into the kitchen. “Of course, dear. I don't want to make you late for your date.”

“It's not a... never mind.” Jason did his best to hide his blush as he helped Mellie carry several stacks of food Tupperware to the car.

When they arrived at the church, there were a lot of cars already parked outside. Jason looked up at the building as he got out of the car. It was only two stories, but the steeple went up pretty high. At the top was a cross, which Jason kept staring at. There were stained glass windows and the building had been made out of brick.

A crow flew overhead, cawing, and landed on top of the cross. “Jason?” Mellie called out to him.

The blond nearly jumped at the woman's voice. “Right, sorry. I got distracted.” He quickly reached into the car and pulled out the food from the backseat. “Lead the way.”

There were a lot of crying women in the dining room and kitchen. The men mostly crowded together in groups, but the women were busying themselves with all the food that had been brought in. A thing of ham was tossed into the trash, and it did not take a genius to know that it had probably been made by Demeter. The town was still resentful about the murder, wanting to blame the coven for this.

“Jason dear, so glad you came,” came Mrs. Dodds annoying voice. “Glad Ms. Mellie got you into church. I was afraid it might be too late.”

Jason put on his best smile. “Didn't want her to hurt herself, carrying all this food in the rain.” The blond turned around once he had the food on a table, looking around the room.

A lot of kids from school were there, but Jason really did not want to talk to any of them. Khione spotted him first, though, and she quickly whispered to her group of friend. Kinzie gave him a sad look. Jason let out a breath and leaned down to Mellie's ear.

“I think I'm going to head out. Do I need to come back and get you?”

The woman shook herself with a smile, already sorting the food she made. “That's okay, dear. You go have fun today. I'll find a ride back, don't worry.”

With a nod, Jason turned to leave, only to stop. He stared down a dark hallway that led out of the kitchen and into another part of the church. It was just strange, because he swore he saw something white moving... or flowing at the end of the hall. A woman in a dress.

But there was no one there when Jason had actually focused on the spot. “Where does that go?” He asked Mellie.

The woman turned around to look where Jason was pointing. “Oh. That leads back to the sanctuary, sweetie. Go have a look.”

For some reason, Jason's nerves were shot. He felt chills running down his spine as he stepped down the hall. When he reached the end, Jason looked to the left. There was another short hallway and a door. Jason frowned and went the other direction. As he came to an intersection with another hallway, Jason froze.

He swore he saw something move again, darting just out of eyesight. Jason's feet carried him down the new hallway and in the direction that he thought he saw movement. There was no sign of anything. This hallway had doors on either side and a doorway at the end. Through the doorway were stairs, some going up and some going down. Jason moved forward and peered down the stairs that led to the basement.

He felt cold, like there was something drawing him closer. There was a creek from where the other stairs led. Jason slowly stepped sideways and peered up the other stairs. It looked like the sanctuary, or the outside of it. There were some more doors and a large staircase that probably went up to a balcony. Jason nearly jumped when he thought something brushed by his face. Like a hand had reached out from the darkness for him.

There was nothing, though. Taking in a deep breath, Jason headed for the sanctuary. He stepped through the doorway and came to a stop. In the middle aisle, towards the front, was a familiar head of curly brown hair. Jason frowned as he watched Eros pray in silence. He was the only one in the large sanctuary, sitting there in the darkness. Jason slowly made his way up the aisle, doing his best not to disturb the brunet.

Eros jumped when he heard Jason. He jumped up and went wide eyed, at least until he saw who it was. “Jesus, you scared me.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I didn't expect you to be here.”

“I was just helping Ms. Mellie with bringing some food up here.”

Eros gave a small nod. Jason frowned as he noticed the wince that Eros gave as he stood up, clutching at his side. “Please... don't say anything,” Eros sighed as he looked at Jason. “Kinzie and Octavian lecture me enough as it is. I shouldn't have let Luke and Nico help me out of the cornfield.”

“What are you talking about?” Jason frowned.

“It's... nothing. I was just trying to explain at home that I didn't think we should jump to put blame on anyone.” The boy tilted his head back with a sigh. “My dad has just been very upset ever since the fall festival, and has been drinking a lot since we found out our pastor was murdered. I shouldn't have said anything, really. It was basically my fault. I didn't shut up when I should have.”

“He hit you?” Jason clamped his mouth shut when Eros flinched at the tone of his voice. “Sorry. Does this happen a lot?”

“It's fine, Jason. I can take care of myself. My father just gets angry when he drinks. I usually make it a point to be elsewhere, or lock myself in my room, when it happens.” Eros smiled, but it was fake. So fake. “I just shouldn't be so stupid, like I was at the festival. My dad does not like me being around Luke or the others. He's just being protective, after May vanished. That's all.”

Jason pursed his lips and glanced at the exit. “Do you want to stay here? I can take you home.”

“I don't know if I should.”

“You can come over to my place.” He wanted to kick himself for this, because it would mean not getting to be alone with Nico, but this was important. “I can cancel my plans, or see if Nico doesn't mind-”

“No, no. Really, it's fine.” Eros let out a breath. “I just... You can take me home. I'll text my mother later and let her know. They'll be here all day, and most of the night. And my dad will probably go find a bottle of something and spend his night with it.”

When they got in the car, Jason turned to Eros. “Where do you live anyways?”

The brunet smiled. “Not far from you, actually. I live like two blocks away from Ms. Mellie.”

“Really?” Jason nodded. “Did not know that.”

After dropping Eros off, Jason got back to Mellie's place. It had started to downpour when they were on the way to Eros' house, and it had not let up. So Jason got drenched when he ran across the yard to get to the house. He let out a groan once he was inside, immediately ripping his shirt over his head, along with his jeans. He would need some dry clothes before Nico got there. Jason sighed and headed for his room.

It was not long before there was a knock at the door. Jason groaned, still unable to decide what shirt he wanted to wear tonight. Jason strolled over to the door and unlocked it, pulling it open to find Nico standing there. Like last night, a black sports car was parked behind Jason's car. More than likely, it belonged to Nico. And if that were true, Jason wanted to ask if he could drive it. Unfortunately, Nico spoke first.

“Put a shirt on.”

Jason glanced down at his torso with a frown. “Hello to you, too.” He sighed and closed the door once Nico was inside. “Be glad I didn't just wake up, I might have been naked,” he said with a cheeky grin.

Nico arched a brow at him, his eyes roaming across Jason's exposed flesh. “You sleep naked?” The boy asked curiously.

Heading back to his room, Jason retrieved a shirt and slipped it on. “No,” he chuckled, “but I do sleep in my underwear.” Nico gave a nod. “So, what was the problem?”

“Oh.” Nico let out a sigh before removing his shoes and moving to sit down on Jason's couch. “Um, it was nothing, just another disturbance at the cemetery.” The boy leaned back, running his hand through his hair. “Just someone trying to break into the crypt.”

Jason nodded and sat down next to Nico. Casually, he placed his arm on the back of the couch, right behind Nico. The other boy did notice, narrowing his eyes at Jason, but did not move. “Some kids trying to vandalize the place? What's even in that old thing?”

The brown-eyed boy shook his head. “Nothing important.” The two stared at each other. Perhaps Jason was over-analyzing things, but he wasn't so sure Nico was being honest with him. “Just some old books, and things like that. Nothing that would be of value to anyone else in this town.”

Okay that was the truth. Jason smiled and nodded. “Um, so, I have a question?”

“Shoot.”

“Where would one purchase things not food related?” Jason rubbed the back of his neck. “Like, what if I wanted to buy a movie, a video game, or clothes? Ah, I mean besides the locally owned clothing stores.”

Nico snorted. “Good luck with clothing. You'll have to make a trip out of town for something like American Eagle.” Nico let out a sigh. “We do have a Wal-Mart, but it's not a Supercenter, and it's not open all day.”

“Wait, hold on.” Jason held his hands up in the universal timeout motion. “There's a Wal-Mart here? Why have I never seen it before?”

Nico bit back a smile. “Not surprised.” He sighed and slid away from Jason, putting his back to the arm of the couch. “First thing you need to know about this town: Everything is on one side of town, except Wal-Mart. Seriously, everything is on this side of town, with the exception of Wal-Mart.” He chuckled at the odd look on Jason's face. “Strange, I know, but there was nowhere to build it except right outside of town. Athena had the place contracted, which, oddly enough, was not objected to by the town.”

“Athena?”

“Annabeth's mother,” Nico mumbled. He pulled his knees up to his chest. “She's a brilliant woman, but she can talk your ear off about anything science or architect related.”

Jason's brow furrowed. “I'm not sure what I find harder to believe: the fact that you guys can do magic, or that there is a Wal-Mart here that I had no idea existed.”

“Okay,” Nico began, motioning with his hands. “It's not that big of a deal. Like, if you're not going to Wal-Mart, you wouldn't go to that side of town. I'm not surprised you didn't know about it.”

“But it's such a small town,” Jason groaned.

“More spread out than anything else.” Nico gave a casual shrug. “Not as compact as a city, like you are used to. Everything is spread out, save for the area downtown.” He stuck his tongue out at the irritated look on Jason's face. “Suck it up, pretty boy.”

That put a smile on Jason's face. “You want to go with me?”

And that put a frown on Nico's face. The boy pursed his lips and brushed his bangs out of his eyes. “I don't think that's a good idea, not after they found that pastor murdered. Everyone is trying to keep a low profile right now, at least until Monday.”

Jason inched closer. “You could keep a low profile over here.”

“I am here,” Nico mumbled.

“I mean tomorrow.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “We'll see how your cards play out today, then we'll talk.” Jason smiled and moved closer, but Nico slipped away before he could get too close. Clearing his throat, Nico stood a few feet away from the couch. “So, I can just wait here until you come back.”

“Or,” Jason began, standing to his feet, “you could come with me. I don't even know where the place is.” Nico opened his mouth, and Jason already knew that he was going to suggest giving Jason directions. But before he could, Jason grabbed his keys and grabbed Nico's wrist. “Come on, grumpy.”

Nico grumbled as he struggled against Jason. “I don't even have my shoes!”

Jason rolled his eyes and let go, bending over to put his own shoes on. “Come on, it won't be that bad. I could use the company.”

The other boy pressed his lips together, crossing his arms over his chest. Jason smiled again and Nico looked away, glaring at a spot on the wall. Jason grinned wider, knowing he was wearing the boy down. For overkill, Jason stuck his bottom lip out in a pout.

“Fine!” Nico sighed in defeat, throwing up his arms. “Just make it quick.”

They ended up taking Nico's car, which Jason definitely did no object to. The only sad part was when Nico glared at him for even asking to drive. But it was such a beautiful car! The rain was still coming down fairly rough, though. When they had left his apartment, Jason wondered how they were going to stay dry long enough to get to the car, but Nico had told him not to worry.

Strolling out casually, Nico walked across the yard with his hands in his pockets. To Jason's amazement, he stayed completely dry. Slowly, Jason followed after him. The rain hit him, but it was like it simply bounced off of his clothes and hair. He blinked, holding out a hand. The rain hit his palm and slid off the side, falling down the pavement.

“Wow,” Jason breathed out once they were on the road. “I didn't know you could control the weather! Or is that a different family?”

“Um.” Nico frowned, not taking his eyes off the road. “Not my family. It...” Nico rubbed at his face. “I can make it rain in particular areas and manage to stay dry during rainy weather.”

“Condensed areas?”

Nico grinned. “Want me to show you?”

Jason's eyes widened and he shook his head. “Nope, I think I'm good.”

The other boy chuckled. “Good. Basically, I can make it rain in a targeted area, probably no bigger than the size of my house. Like, it would rain on my house, but nowhere around it.”

“That's so cool,” Jason whispered.

“Eh, you get used to it. Or, in some cases, wish you didn't have them.”

“Why would anyone wish that?”

Nico let out a sigh. “It's never a choice, and some people can feel trapped by it. Almost like a curse.” His dark eyes cut over to where Jason sat. “Some have killed themselves, rather than live with their magic.” Jason frowned at that. “It's complicated, and involves a lot more than I'm willing to talk about right now. Our families are very old, and... well, let's just say that not everyone out there likes our families.”

“You mean besides the town?” Jason quirked a brow.

“Yes. I mean people that have magic.” Nico took a sharp turn, running a light as it was about to turn red. “Some don't like it because we might just be some of the most powerful families among witches and warlocks.” Nico pursed his lips. “Some people didn't like their children marrying into our families, and some... didn't like what we did to them years back.” The boy cringed and then shivered. “And, well, we're cursed.”

That didn't really make sense. “Um, but I thought you said you guys were powerful?”

“We... are.” Nico chewed on his lip. “I... don't think we should talk about this. Like I said before, there was an issue, a very long time ago... between two people in my family. It's a very sore subject.”

Nico didn't have to tell him, Jason believed he already knew what Nico was talking about. Circe and Tartarus. But that didn't explain what happened. Those parts of the dreams were still confusing to him, but Jason didn't have a dream last night. He was partially wondering if getting rid of the ghost actually did get rid of his dreams as well.

“There are other families out there with magic,” Nico continued. “Here in North America, back in Europe. Asia, Africa, everywhere on Earth that has a population of people has witches and warlocks inhabiting it. Sure there are towns and probably even cities around the world that don't, though, because we aren't as... large a number as mortals.” Nico made another turn, this one taking them to the edge of town. “But our families here like to keep the bloodlines pure with magical blood.”

“What, like not having sex with a 'mortal'?”

Nico smirked. “No, sex is fine.” Jason did not like the way Nico had said that. Had Nico had sex with someone before? “What I mean is that we do not mate with mortals. It's nothing against them, but our families like to keep magic in our families.”

“So... if a kid was born of a witch, or wizard in a guy's case, and a mortal?”

Nico sped up since there wasn't really any traffic ahead of them. “That's fine.” The boy shrugged. “That sort of goes into genetics. A halfbreed has a chance of being mortal or being born with magic, but if they do inherit magic, they will only pass on their genetic marker that contains magic.”

Jason's head began to hurt again. He had the feeling this was going to become a common thing whenever he talked to Nico about magic. “Wait, so you're like the X-men?”

The other boy quirked a brow. “Are you asking me if we're mutants?” Nico asked. Jason gave a nod. “No. Look, I don't know how to really explain this.” Nico slowed down, taking one of his hands off the wheel to use as he spoke. “It's not something you can identify by looking at someone's genes. A scientist wouldn't be able to find it. It's invisible, for all intents and purposes. It's just something you are born with, something untraceable. No one knows exactly where magic even came from. We just know that it isn't evil. Magic is what the wielder makes it to be.”

The blue-eyed boy was now rubbing his head. “So, let me get this straight. If a male mortal and a female witch-”

“Only females can be witches,” Nico mumbled.

Jason let out a groan, massaging his head further. “But, like, if the two of them have a child, and that child contains magic. And then if that child has a child with a witch or warlock, the child is... guaranteed to have magic?”

Nico gave a slow nod, with a slow and drawn out, “Yes.”

Jason let out another groan, letting his head fall back against the car seat. Nico parked the car and turned it off, turning to Jason with a sigh. Arching a brow, Nico motioned to the store on his left.

It wasn't really that big, much smaller than most that Jason was used to seeing. The highway that they took to get here from town was to Jason's right, and there wasn't much else surrounding the area. The parking lot was bigger than the grocery store that Jason was used to going to, but not by much. There were a few cars parked around them, but the rain seemed to be keeping most people indoors.

Perhaps that was a good thing. Then Nico wouldn't have to be as uncomfortable.

Jason slowly opened his door. Nico just sat there. “So,” Jason began, “I don't suppose we get to stay dry this time, do we?”

Nico shook his head. “I, um-” He finally looked over at Jason. “Sorry, no. But I can dry us off when we get back in the car, if that helps.”

The blue-eyed boy smiled. “Come on, it won't be that bad.”

Nico let out a sigh, but followed Jason as the older boy jogged towards the store. Once inside, the two were met by the cold air conditioning that most Wal-Marts had. His teeth chattering, Jason wrapped his arms around himself. It was so cold in here, compared to outside. Nico was shivering, but the boy did not seem to mind the cold as much as Jason did.

The old lady at the front of the story smiled at them with a, “Welcome to Wal-Mart.” She offered them a shopping cart, but Jason shook his head. She continued to smile. “Nice to see you again, Nico.”

The boy smiled and gave a little wave. “Thanks. Nice to see you.”

When they were far enough in the store, Jason turned to Nico. “She didn't seem as bothered by you,” he whispered.

“Mrs. Edna?” Nico looked over his shoulder. “She's a sweet woman. Her eyesight is going a little, so is her hearing.” He bit on his lip as he stared at the woman. Something dark swirled around in Nico's eyes, like a snake slithering on the ground. “She's very old, probably won't live but another two years.”

“You can tell?”

Nico pointed at his face with a dull look. “Death family, remember?” The boy whispered. Nico frowned up at the taller boy. “What are we here for?”

“Oh.” Jason chuckled a little. “An umbrella.”

Nico arched a brow. “Funny that you have to get one today.”

“I know, right?” Jason grinned and slipped his hands into his pocket. “But what about the old lady?”

“Oh.” Nico pursed his lips before looking up. “She lives outside of town. Very sweet woman, she even was nice enough to bring us food after we buried my mother.” He cleared his throat. “Not everyone is so cruel around here.” Rubbing his arm and looking around, Nico pointed ahead of them. “Can we just get the umbrella?”

“You okay?”

Nico frowned and looked down at his feet. “Just don't like being out in public,” he mumbled.

Jason blinked. There were people staring at them, some giving Nico dirty looks. The blond frowned when he noticed some of those looks, urging the boy forward with his hand. “You seem relatively fine at school.”

“School is different,” Nico muttered, still not looking up. The boy rubbed his arm again, trying to draw in on himself. “Everyone is in a hurry to get places at school, and they don't really say much due to the fear of getting in trouble. But out here is different, the cops don't care that much about us.”

“You don't... own them?”

Nico gave him a curious look. “No.” He furrowed his brow and returned his gaze to his feet. “Businesses are one thing, but we don't really desire to own the police around here. That would just be wrong.”

Every step they took, Nico got dirty looks from the people in the store. And with every step, Nico drew more in on himself. As they passed a small glass display around the electronics, the glass wobbled. Jason stopped and arched a brow, but Nico yanked on his sleeve to keep him moving.

“Can we just hurry up?” Nico whispered.

Jason leaned in towards the pale boy. “Are you okay?”

“Being out in the open and public spaces make me nervous. Everyone stares at me like I'm some freak.”

“Okay,” Jason said softly, nodding his head. “Okay, just... where are the umbrellas?”

Nico pointed to an aisle a few feet ahead of them. Smiling, Jason grabbed Nico's arm and took the boy down the deserted aisle. Nico relaxed a little, but stood close by Jason. Not that Jason minded, quite the opposite in fact.

Jason scrunched his lips as he glanced through the small collection of umbrellas that they had here. Normally, he would have just picked a blue or even a black one one straight away, but Jason wanted to try and cheer Nico up a little.

“What about this one?” Jason asked, picking up one that had caught his eye.

Nico gave him a funny look. “It's pink with ponies on it.”

Jason's blue eyes grew wide as he gave Nico a pout. “But... it's cool.”

“Oh my god, are you five?” The pale boy shook his head. “You're a dork.”

“This one then?” Jason picked up another one, this one with Thomas the Tank Engine on it. He looked at Nico hopefully.

The boy sighed. “This is why your chances of dating me are abysmal. I don't date children.”

Jason stumbled back, holding his hand over his chest like he was wounded. “Ouch, so harsh.” He smiled and picked up a simple blue one. “Ready?”

“More than you know,” Nico sighed.

Jason tossed the umbrella in his hand as they walked, catching it with ease. Nico's eyes followed the umbrella as it went up and down, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. Jason smiled to himself. “So, how about we go back to my place and watch a movie?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “If it's another movie about witches-”

“I'll let you pick it out,” Jason offered.

Nico eyed him for a moment before responding. “I suppose I could-”

Jason blinked and turned to look over at Nico, who had an uncomfortable expression plastered across his face. Frowning, Jason turned around to find a woman ushering her two kids to get behind her. When she noticed Nico staring at her, she grabbed the cross that hung around her neck. “Stay back from me and my children, devil.”

“I'm not even doing anything,” Nico said softly.

Jason used his arm as a shield to push Nico back a little. “Is there a problem here? We were literally not even bothering you.”

The woman glared hatefully at Nico. “I don't need his kind corrupting my children, like he's already obviously corrupted you.” She pointed her finger at Nico. “The devil has sent his servants to destroy this town.”

Jason shook his head in frustration. “Yeah, because you're not doing that well enough on your own. Maybe you should all move on and join the rest of the world in the modern era.” Nico yanked on his sleeve, but Jason just brushed him off.

“How can you not see their evil? They have murdered two pastors already. Isn't it obvious that they are trying to silence God's word from reaching our ears.”

“Jason,” Nico whispered behind him, but Jason continued to ignore the boy.

“Look, I might be new around here,” Jason began, “but I'm not blind enough to see that you treat people like Nico here horribly.” The blue-eyed boy glared at the woman. “To me, you're the devils.”

“Why I ne-”

Jason and the woman looked up when the lights above them flickered. Jason quickly looked behind him to find Nico with his eyes closed, shaking furiously. “Please,” Nico whispered, “we need to go.”

Jason nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat and taking the boy's hand. As fast as he could, Jason paid for his umbrella and led Nico to the boy's car. Once outside, though, Nico jerked his arm away and opened his eyes.

“Nico,” Jason called out.

Nico stopped, the rain matting his hair against his face. “I told, I don't like being out in public like this.” He glanced around, lowering his voice. “My magic... My magic is tied to my emotions. When I get upset, things like that happen if I don't control myself.”

Jason shook his head. “It was just a flickering light, it wasn't that big of a deal.”

The boy furiously shook head. “No, you don't get it. My mind kept racing about her dying.” His dark eyes looked up at Jason, the blacks of his eyes threatening to swallow the dark brown irises. “When witches and warlocks wish for things hard enough, it actually happens, Jason. We are very dangerous at young ages, until we learn how to control these thoughts.” He shook his head again and moved closer to his car. “And, even then, it's a constant struggle for all of us to keep things like that from happening. If we don't, we'll expose magic, and that can't happen.”

Jason just stood there, soaking wet. Even though he had just purchased an umbrella, the blue-eyed boy let himself get soaked. “Nico,” he said softly. The boy just tried to open his door, but seemed to be having trouble getting his keys out. “Nico.”

“I need to go home,” Nico whispered.

Jason grabbed his shoulders and turned the boy around. “It's okay.” The boy blinked up at him. He looked so beautiful in the rain, or so Jason thought. “I don't want you to go yet.”

Averting his gaze from Jason, Nico stared off at some shopping carts. “I should really get home.” The boy shuddered when Jason reached up to brush some of his wet hair away. His dark eyes returned to Jason's face, searching around, though Jason was not sure what Nico was looking for. “Do you... want to come back to my place for dinner?”

Jason smiled. He was supposed to have dinner at Nico's house, so it wouldn't hurt to get it over with. “Sure, if your dad doesn't mind.”

Nico cleared his throat, giving a small push against Jason's chest. He pulled out his phone as he opened the door. Jason smiled and jogged around the other side. He blinked as he sat down. It was like the car was magic itself, because Jason became completely dry the second he got into the car. Nico was dry as well, though he did not seem as interested in this new development as Jason was.

“Hi, Dad,” Nico said, his phone to his ear. He glanced over at Jason before looking at the steering wheel and running his finger along the top of it. “So, um, you know how Persephone asked if it was okay if the new kid in town came over and had dinner with us?” He pursed his lips, and Jason could hear a deep voice on the other end of the phone, though he was unable to make anything out. “Yes, I know Demeter has been nagging you about feeding him. No.” Nico narrowed his eyes. “Luke needs to shut up, and you don't need to listen to Aphrodite.”

Jason smiled as he watched the boy talk on the phone. He wasn't sure if he was still what they were talking about, but it kind of seemed like it. His smile grew when a faint blush appeared on Nico's cheeks. The boy's fingers tightened around the steering wheel.

“No, this is not something you need to mistrust me with.” His face grew even more red as he talked. There was a brief pause and then, “Dad!” Jason could now hear a female voice on the phone. “We're not discussing this right now, Persephone.” Nico's eyes drifted over to where Jason was. “Yes, he is.” The boy covered his face. “I'll see you when I get home.”

With a sigh, Nico hung up the phone and dropped it into his lap. Jason just smiled. “So, do I get to come over tonight?”

“Yeah,” Nico mumbled, “but only for dinner.” He chewed on his lip as he stared out the window. “It's best if you don't stay too late.”

\------------------------------------------

Nico's house was amazing, to put it lightly. The obsidian road that was their driveway was illuminated by lampposts, a small fire burning in each one. The yard was massive. There was a swing set near a giant magnolia tree. Most of the area around the driveway was covered by rows and rows of flowers, which Nico said was Persephone's work. There were a lot more trees in the yard then there were at Luke or Percy's houses.

And then there was the house itself. Luke was right, Nico had the bigger house. To start things off, it had a third floor and was much wider than Luke or Percy's houses. The stonework had an older texture to it, but still looked like it had been built not too long ago. The stone was dark, not much lighter than the driveway. The gray columns that lined the outside of the house had been placed in absolutely symmetrical positions, so that they were completely even with each other. The driveway ended up circling a large fountain that was directly proportional to the massive door at the front of the house.

The entire second floor had a balcony that wrapped around the entire house, and even came with two antique-looking swings. Off to the side was a greenhouse that attached to the house. Beautiful green hedges had been placed on the side of the house that didn't have the greenhouse. The third floor had a massive circular window at the very center, which Nico said had a cushioned bench to sit on and stare outside. Two lanterns were perched on either side of the doors of the house. They were huge, double doors that looked like they had come straight out of a castle. In the very center of each was a gargoyle head with a doorknocker in its mouth.

Nico parked his car in a small garage off to the side of the manor. When he turned the car off, Nico turned to Jason. “Get the umbrella out.” Jason just blinked at him. “If we show up dry without it, my dad will start questioning things.”

“Right.” Quickly, Jason pulled the umbrella out of the plastic pouch that it had come in. Smiling, he stepped out of the car and opened it. Nico stuck close to him, which Jason did not mind at all, and closed the garage door that housed his car behind him.

In total, there were six garage doors, each separated by a wall. He asked Nico, and the boy listed off each garage door in order from left to right. His father, Persephone, Nico, Bianca, Medea, and then Hazel. Hazel was about to turn sixteen soon, so Nico's father went ahead and purchased her a car. It did not really dawn on Jason until now that Hazel lived with Nico.

“What happened to Hazel's parents?”

Nico just shook his head. “Let's not talk about it right now,” he whispered. As they got near the steps to the porch, Nico stopped them. He took a step away from Jason, but kept close enough to stay under the umbrella. “Before we go in, there is some things you need to know.”

“Okay?”

Nico popped his lips. “Okay, first, don't ask to go down to the basement. You don't want to go down there.” The brown-eyed boy held up his hand. “Don't ask. Also, try to stay close to me as much as you can, or just someone in the family.” Jason opened his mouth and Nico stopped him again. “Again, don't ask. “Lastly, don't bring up the fact that you know about us in the house, not even when you think we're alone.”

The way Nico said that last part did not make Jason feel comfortable. But Jason didn't have a chance to question anything, as Nico opened the front door. It was very silent, and the door creaked as it opened, like straight out of a horror movie. Jason gulped as he followed Nico inside. Nico grinned wickedly as he shut the door behind Jason and locked it.

The lighting was dim inside, and Jason could hear the faint crackle of a fireplace. But the scary part? He had seen the entryway of the house before. Right in front of him was the very same stairs that Tartarus had stood at during the celebration of his ascension to Head of House. It looked untouched, straight out of Jason's dream. The railing of the staircase was polished as it led up the stairs. The house felt very old, though it did not exactly look it.

But the strangest part was that Jason got this weird feeling that he was being watched the second he entered the house.

A loud bark nearly startled Jason. Nico took a step back, which Jason found odd. In response, Nico just smiled creepily up at him. Jason opened his mouth to ask what was going on when the massive black dog that had jumped out of the tree came bounding at him. He yelped as the giant dog leaped at him, sending Jason onto his back.

Nico chuckled as Cerberus licked Jason's face, his massive tail wagging. Nico patted Cerberus on the back. “Good, dog.” Jason glared at the brown-eyed boy as the dog pulled back to bark in his face. A massive weight was put on his chest when the dog put his two front paws on Jason's chest.

“Help me,” Jason wheezed.

Nico just chuckled and ruffled the dog's head. “Okay, boy, get off him.” The dog barked, but pulled back and jumped on Nico, who was crouched down. Nico kissed the side of the dog's face. “He's harmless.”

Jason attempted to wipe the slobber off his face. “Yeah,” he mumbled, “looks real harmless.” He just blew out a breath and sat up. The dog was even bigger up close. “He's huge! I've never even seen a dog like him.”

“He's a rare breed,” came a low, dark voice. Jason paled a little. He had heard that voice before. Gulping, Jason looked up to find the cold, dark eyes of the man he had met in the graveyard. Nico's father.

Seeing the pale look on Jason's face, Nico shook his head. He helped the blue-eyed boy to his feet. “Dad, this is Jason.”

“We've met,” the man mumbled. He was only slightly terrifying. He had a lot of Nico's features: pale skin, black hair, and a pair of dark eyes. Although, the man's hair was curly, whereas Nico had relatively straight hair. The man held out a cold hand for Jason to shake. “Hades di Angelo.”

Jason gulped. The man's hand was like an iron maiden: cold and deathly tight. He also wore a skull ring similar to the one on Nico's hand. Two rubies shimmered ever so enticingly in the low lighting. The man was dressed in a striped suit, and carried a black cane with a silver skull at the top of it. And just like Jason remembered him, Hades looked very youthful. Jason didn't know his age, but the man looked to be in his late twenties.

Someone clapped their hands behind Jason, and he was relieved when he heard Persephone's harmonic voice. “There you are!” She said happily. She walked over and leaned against Hades, placing her hand against his chest. In comparison, she looked even younger than her husband did. She looked close to Apollo's age. “We're so happy to be having you over for dinner, aren't we, dear?”

Hades grumbled. He straightened a curl by pushing it off to the side of his face. “Is dinner almost ready?”

“Almost.” Persephone smiled again, and it was like the sun entered the dimly lit room. “Mother's finishing up with the chicken cordon bleu, and then I think everything will be done.” Another grunt from her husband made the woman roll her eyes. She smiled at Nico and ran the back of her knuckles down his cheek. “Why don't you show Jason around a little, and then we'll call you down for dinner.”

“Yeah,” Nico muttered, but was busy staring at his father. The two seemed to be having a staring match, though Hades had the more intimidating stare, in Jason's opinion. Finally, Nico sighed and grabbed Jason's wrist.

They went up to the third floor, where Nico let Jason sit at the giant window. Jason probably resembled a dog with how excited he looked as he leaned against the glass. “Wow,” he breathed out.

“It's just a window,” Nico mumbled, sitting down next to Jason.

Jason frowned and looked over his shoulder. “Are there any bedrooms up here?”

Nico shook his head. “No. Why?”

“Just... wondering.” He scrunched his lips before turning around to sit down on the cushioned bench. “I just get this strange feeling that we're being watched.”

Nico slowly nodded. He didn't say anything, but held his fingers up to his lips with a look that told Jason that they'd talk about it later. Jason nodded back. They both turned when there were footsteps coming up from the stairway. Nico frowned when two heads came jogging up.

Hazel beamed at them. “Jason! It's so awesome that you came over for dinner.”

The blond smiled as the girl sat down between the two boys. “Yeah, your house is awesome.”

Bianca rolled her eyes. “Hazel,” she whispered, “maybe they want to be alone.”

Nico smacked his face. Hazel just blinked and looked between the two. Jason chuckled a little, which earned him a glare from the brown-eyed boy. “How many times do I have to tell you people that we are just friends?” Nico growled.

Smiling, Jason slung his arm around Nico's shoulders. “For now.”

Hazel grinned and jumped up. She placed both of her hands on Nico's cheeks with a completely serious look on her face. “I think you two would be adorable together.”

“Please, just kill me now.” Nico smacked her hands away. “I swear, you're all acting like children today.” Hazel just laughed and stuck out her tongue. “Please, stay. I might need a witness if I have to kill him.”

Bianca shook her head. “What are you guys doing anyways?”

“Just showing him the top floor,” Nico mumbled.

Bianca chuckled. “Good, because it's the only exciting floor.”

Jason arched his brow, scooting to the edge of his seat. “Why do you say that? This house is massive.”

Hazel let out a sigh, wrapping her hair around her finger. “And still not much to do. The top floor has most of your entertainment needs.” Taking a few steps back, the girl opened one of the doors. Jason could spot a massive TV and a few theater chairs inside. “Here's where we watch movies.” She pointed to the next door. “There's the gaming room, with a pool table and even a pinball machine. All gaming systems included.”

Bianca motioned down the other hall. “Most of that side is taken up by the library.”

Jason held up a hand. “Wait, you guys have a library? Not like a study, like an actual library?”

All three of them nodded. “Lots of books,” Hazel said with a grin. “They've been collected over the years. You even need a ladder to get to some of them.”

That was pretty cool. He would most likely be checking that out to borrow a few books, if Nico would let him. No wonder Nico had so many books that he kept throwing at Jason.

Nico pulled his legs up to his chest and rested his cheek against his knee. “And beyond that is where we store all of the movies.”

Jason quirked a brow at that. He glanced down the hall. “Um, couldn't you just put them in the entertainment room?”

“No,” all three of the replied.

“Yeah, we have a lot. DVD, VHS, and even some reels that dad acquired.” Bianca grinned down at her brother. “Nico likes the silent ones.”

“Shut up,” Nico mumbled. He frowned when he noticed Jason smiling at him. “They're good!” Jason held up his hands in defense. “Charlie Chaplin was amazing.”

“Dinner” Persephone sang from downstairs.

Jason found the table to be a little more awkward than he thought it might be. Nico picked out a seat and motioned for Jason to sit next to him. He began to smile, but Nico shot him a look that told him it wasn't meant to be affectionate. For whatever reason, Nico wanted Jason to stick close to him. Hazel sat on the other side of Jason, while Bianca, Medea, and Demeter sat on the other side of the table. And that left Hades and Persephone with each end of the table.

“Jason, I do hope you're hungry,” Demeter said with a laugh.

Jason smiled, trying not to look sick. It wasn't that he wasn't hungry or the food didn't look good, because he was and it did. But he still was unsure if he was ready to try Demeter's cooking again after finding out about the fall festival incident. However, the smell of the food was too much and Jason had to let his stomach do the thinking for him.

While Jason wasn't completely sure, he got the feeling that Nico had talked with Medea already. The eldest of the kids at the table glared over at Jason, while Nico glared back at her, daring her to say something. Meanwhile, Hades sat between the two children on either side of him, his eyes flickering back and forth between them.

“Have I missed some latest teenage angst disagreement?” Hades mumbled.

“No,” Medea and Nico grumbled at the same time, their eyes locked.

Hades let out a sigh and lifted a glass of wine to his lips. “I am so ready for you all to grow up and run off to college for a few years.” Hazel looked sad at this. The man let out a sigh and held up a hand in her direction. “Not you, Hazel dear.” She smiled and went back to eating her food.

Demeter was the next to make conversation. “So, Jason, Hermes says that you had a father named Jupiter, is that correct?”

“Yes, ma'am.”

The woman gave a small nod. Her eyes darted over to her son-in-law, who narrowed his eyes. “Interesting.”

“We discussed this,” the man grumbled, clearing his throat and shifting in his seat.

“What?” Bianca asked, chewing on some of her food.

Hades and Demeter looked at each other again before the man replied. “Nothing, my dearest.” Jason felt confused, but apparently so did Nico. The boy chewed on his food, but stared curiously at his father. When Cerberus barked, Hades threw the dog a piece of chicken. He let out a sigh. “So, Jason, I hear you have an interest in my son.”

Jason felt his cheeks heat up. Nico dropped his fork on his plate. “Dad!”

Persephone motioned for the boy to quiet down. “Now, now, Hades, let's not torture the poor boy.”

But Hades just kept staring at Jason, waiting for an answer and swirling his glass of wine around in his hand. Jason fumbled with his mouth. “Um, well...” He glanced at the boy beside him, who had an eyebrow arched. “I do.”

“In an openly homophobic town, too,” the man sighed. “Does that not bother you?”

Jason simply shook his head. “No, sir.”

Hades took a sip and nodded. “I see.” Jason gulped and looked down. Cerberus was watching him from the floor. Hades tapped a finger against his glass. “I suppose I do owe you a thanks for sticking up for my son.”

Jason gave a small chuckle. “I don't really think he needs any protection.” Nico shot him a dark look.

“No,” Hades mused, glancing between the two boys, “I suppose he doesn't.”

“How is the chicken, Jason?” Demeter chimed in, narrowing her eyes at Hades, who let out a sigh and slouched in his chair.

“Horrible,” Medea grumbled.

“You think everything is horrible,” Bianca retorted.

Jason just smiled across the table at Demeter. “It's really good, thank you.”

The woman waved him off while taking a drink of wine. “Think nothing of it, dear.”

Jason smiled until he looked over at Nico. The boy just sort of sat there, poking his food. Demeter had loaded down his plate, but the boy had barely touched it. This did not go unnoticed by the woman, who urged Nico to eat. Nico sighed and lifted a small bite of food to his mouth. It was so curious, Jason thought, it did not seem like Nico's home life was so bad. So why did Nico have bruises and not be at home a lot of the time? And why did Nico seem so tired most of the time, and eat so little?

“So, Jason.” Medea grinned across the table at him, twisting her fork around in her mashed potatoes. “How's with Ms. Mellie?”

Jason had to bite his tongue. He was beginning to think Nico was right about his cousin haunting him. But he could not let her know that he knew what she was. He just shrugged. “It's okay, can be very quiet.”

Demeter just shook her head. “Poor dear. Feel free to come around here whenever you want.” Hades did not look so pleased with the woman's invitation, but he chose not to say anything.

When he saw that Jason was done with his food, Nico asked to be excused from the table. Grumbling with another sip of wine, Hades motioned for them to leave. Nico quickly nodded to the door. Jason thanked them again for the meal before following Nico up the stairs. As usual when in positions like this, Jason took the opportunity to look at Nico's ass in his tight jeans.

Nico walked to the end of the hall on the right wing and opened the door on his left.

It looked like a master bedroom due to the size, so Jason had to wonder just how big Hades and Persephone's room was. Nico had a canopy bed against the back wall, with black curtains that were closed except for the left side. It had also not been made since Nico woke up apparently, not that Jason could say much, since he rarely made his own bed. There was an oak desk not far from the bed, a leather office chair pushed up against it. On top of the desk was was the boy's desktop. Two speakers sat on either side of a twenty-seven inch monitor. A very expensive headset sat on top of the computer's tower. And the boy had his forty inch TV mounted on the wall beside his desk, and even had it hooked up to the computer as well.

There was a walk-in closet against the left wall, which was open, allowing Jason to see Nico's large assortment of clothes. The boy also had his own private bathroom. When Jason asked about that, Nico's response was, “It's not fun trying to get ready with four women in the house. Dad has to use my bathroom sometimes, because Persephone takes so long in the mornings.”

There was a small bookshelf to the right of where Jason stood in the doorway. If Jason had to guess, it was full of Nico's favorite books, rather than keep them in the library they had. But, overall, the room was relatively clean and tidy, save for the unmade bed.

Jason sat down on Nico's bed and looked around. The ceiling was dotted with tiny specs. Jason's brow furrowed and he narrowed his gaze, trying to figure out what they were. He jumped when the light turned off. Nico stood in the doorway, and Jason saw the boy point up to the ceiling.

“Better?” Came Nico's soft voice.

Jason's mouth hung open a little. They were stars. But not like the tiny plastic star shapes children put on their ceilings. This was fairly accurate to the night sky, and even had a streak across it at one point, making the appearance of a shooting star. Some were bigger than others, while others were barely noticeable. The canopy bed also had nothing covering the top of it, so it would allow whoever slept in it a complete view of the ceiling.

Nico switched the light back on before going over to the bed and sitting next to Jason. “This is pretty cool,” Jason said, leaning back on his palms.

“Thanks.” Nico laid down on his side, bringing one of his legs up. His eyes closed and Jason wondered if the guy was going to fall asleep.

“Tired?”

Nico hummed in response. “Not at all.”

Jason smiled. That was a lie. Jason's eyes roamed over to Nico's clock. He needed to leave soon in order to make it to that circle meeting. But looking at Nico laying there with his eyes closed, Jason found it very hard to want to go anywhere. Without really thinking about it, Jason found himself laying down next to Nico.

The boy cracked an eye open and turned his head to look at the blue-eyed boy when Jason shifted closer to Nico and slid his legs in to intertwine with Nico's own legs. The boy shuddered when Jason's fingers trailed underneath his shirt, ghosting over his hips and along his back. The skin was warm to the touch. Jason frowned when he felt one of the bruises.

“How'd you get all of those?” Jason whispered.

Nico opened his mouth, but something stopped him. He frowned and sat up, pulling away, much to Jason's disappointment. At least until Jason saw Cerberus laying down in the doorway. The way he was watching them was very creepy, almost like he comprehended what was going on. Cerberus wagged his tail as Nico approached. Narrowing his eyes, Nico shut his door and went back over to the bed.

Jason smiled when Nico curled against him of his own accord. Not questioning it, Jason slid an arm around Nico's waist and rested his nose against Nico's shoulder blade. “I don't really want to talk about it,” Nico whispered, the sound reverberating against Jason's skin where his face touched Nico's back.

“Oh.”

“Not right now,” Nico whispered. The boy trailed his fingers along Jason's arm. “Not tonight.”

Jason nodded, knowing Nico could feel this movement. The blue-eyed boy inhaled and the smell of peppermint filled his senses. “Why'd you close the door?” He mumbled against Nico's warm skin.

Nico just shook his head, letting Jason know they couldn't talk about it right now. But Jason didn't understand. They were alone, unless Hades or someone could listen in somehow. But Nico would do something about that, wouldn't he?

Didn't really matter at the moment, though. Jason was just enjoying this moment, as it was the closest he had ever been to Nico. He didn't know how to really explain it, but he felt content like this, like this was how they were supposed to be. That nothing else mattered when they were close like this. The feel of Nico's soft skin underneath his touch made Jason's own skin tingle, and he could feel a warmth every time that he touched Nico's skin. The same was true for when Nico touched his arm. It was like heat lingered behind the boy's touch, but neither of them voiced this out loud.

Hesitantly, Jason looked at the clock again. It was fifteen minutes after seven. He still needed to get back to Mellie's house and drive an hour, not to mention make sure he had enough time to find the place. So, reluctantly, Jason let Nico go.

“I have to go,” he whispered.

Nico rolled over with a sleepy look in his eyes. He let out a yawn and frowned. “Oh,” the boy whispered.

Jason's heart did a somersault at hearing the sad tone in Nico's voice. He almost wanted to just stay there. “I mean, I could stay a little longer, if you wanted.”

Nico gave a lazy smile and shook his head. “You should probably go, it's already dark.” Jason's eyes flickered down to some exposed skin when Nico stretched. He really had issues that he didn't even understand.

Running a hand through his hair, Jason got up and followed Nico out of the room. After telling everyone goodnight and thanking them for dinner again, the two boys stepped out of the house and Nico shut the door behind them. The boy let out a visible sigh and shook his head. Jason just smiled at him.

“Wasn't so bad.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.”

Jason stretched, using the opportunity to wrap his arms around Nico when he brought his arms down. As soon as his arms made contact with Nico, Jason heard voices. He didn't see anyone, but he could hear Kronos and Tartarus.

“No, I forbid you to do this!” Came Kronos's angry voice, the sound of feet hitting the steps behind Jason.

“This is her fault!” Tartarus yelled back. “I will not let him die!” The sound of a door slamming could be heard in Jason's head.

Nico shook his head and patted Jason's back. “I'm driving you home, you know.”

“I know,” Jason mumbled, still holding Nico. He didn't want to pull away just yet. He didn't want Nico to see his face just yet. That was very odd, Jason thought. It was like it was there. Had the two had an argument in this spot in the past?

He still did not understand why he was having these dreams. Tartarus was Nico's ancestor, not Jason's. Maybe Jason should ask Nico about Kronos sometime, see what the boy knew. It just did not make any sense.

Nico finally whined and pushed Jason away before heading towards his car. Jason slowly followed behind the boy. What did this mean? Maybe since the dreams were already put there, Jason just had to wait them out and let them come. But why did anyone want him to see them?

When they got back to Jason's house, Nico asked him what he had to do. Jason hesitated and eventually said that he needed to do some homework. Nico had given him an odd look, and had reminded Jason that he still had tomorrow to get it done. Jason had just grinned and said that it would give him more time to spend with Nico tomorrow.

Unfortunately, Nico said that he probably wouldn't see Jason the next day, as he had lessons with his father. Jason understood and said that he'd text the boy later. Nico gave a small nod, still looking at Jason strange. He didn't believe Jason. Not that he probably should, since Jason was actually lying to him. Either way, Nico had driven off and Jason eventually found himself driving in the direction the circle was supposed to meet.

He was actually a little nervous about this. Jason was almost positive that these people wouldn't actually be able to use magic, but it was more about understanding the craft that Nico and the others used. On the bright side, perhaps it would be an entertaining experience.

As it turned out, these people met in a clearing in the middle of the woods. Luckily, Jason carried a flashlight in his car, as well as the fact that the people actually lit a path to the spot. When he arrived a heavy set woman greeted him.

“I believe we spoke on the phone,” she told him.

Jason nodded. “Thanks again for having me.”

It was a rather small group, just five adults of various ages. Three were female, while the last two were male. He tried to watch as much as possible while the group set everything up. At the very center of everything was a bonfire. There were a lot of herbs that got put out on a small table, and a few matches to light some candles that were put in five corners. The woman that he spoken to over the phone carried a large walking stick made out of a tree branch, which had some gems and incense on the top of it. The taller of the two males carried with him a wooden stick, no longer than two rulers put together. There were some herbs tied to each end with some string.

While the rain had stopped for the moment, it was still thundering overhead. Jason quirked a brow at the other guy in the group, who wore antlers from a deer on top of his head. They displayed no signs of possessing magic like Luke and the others did, though. And, even comparing this group to what Jason saw Percy and the others doing the other night, this seemed incorrect in comparison. But who was Jason to judge, since he only found about magic two nights ago. So, he would just sit quietly and watch them do their thing.

As they finished lighting their candles, thunder boomed and wind blew overhead. The five of them got excited by this.

“What are you doing?”

Jason nearly fell off of the stump he was perched on when he heard Nico's voice. There the pale boy sat, right next to him. When or how he had got there, Jason did not know. But the others seemed to notice him and stopped what they were doing.

“Who is this?” The guy with the antlers asked.

“I already don't like you.” The way Nico was looking at the man, his eyes staring in disgust at the antlers, it made Jason very nervous. “You people don't even know what you're dabbling in, do you?”

“Excuse me?” The woman that Jason had spoken on the phone asked in shock. “I'll have you know that I am a High Priestess of-” Her mouth clamped shut, her eyes widening.

“Yeah, I don't care,” the boy whispered. His eyes were dark as he got off of the stump and slipped his hands into his aviator jacket pockets.

One of the other two women, a young woman probably no older than twenty-five stepped forward. “I think you should leave.”

The man with the odd stick nodded in agreement. “Yes, leave now.” Nico arched a brow at this man, who held up his stick in what Jason could only assume was meant to unnerve the boy. “Leave now, or we shall invoke one of our gods on you.”

As if it didn't bother him at all, Nico tossed his head back and laughed. He laughed until it died down into a chuckle and he stepped closer to the man, looking the stick in his hands over. “Oh, this looks cool. Can I see it?” The man in question seemed confused, but let Nico take the stick. Nico's smile instantly fell and he snapped the stick in half, tossing its remains into the bonfire that the group had lit. “Much better.” With a dark look, he pointed at the man. “Don't ever threaten me with my own gods.”

“You broke it!” The man cried out.

Nico shook his head. “You're all pathetic. I don't care much for practicing witches, you always tend to get our craft wrong.”

The women whispered among themselves. The heavy set woman looked Nico over. “What do you know of the craft?”

Nico placed his hands on his chest with a gasp. Jason could tell that he was playing with them, which bothered him a little. He was seeing more of that darkness that he could sometimes see in Nico's eyes. It was a little scary.

From the woman's hand flew her staff, which Nico caught. Raising his knee, Nico broke it in half as well. “Real witches don't use these.”

“Um, Nico, I don't think you should be doing that in front of them,” Jason whispered.

But Nico didn't listen. The man with antlers was brave enough, or stupid enough, to try and attack Nico. Nico just stood there until the man was practically on top of him before snapping his fingers and a tree branch came down to wrap around the man's legs, jerking the man up into the air and dangling him around.

“Oops,” Nico said innocently. A smirk crept across his face. “Sorry, my fingers slipped.”

“I thought you couldn't use magic in front of people!” Jason finally yelled out.

Nico turned around to face him, frowning. “Just a little fun.”

The members of the circle, save for the one hanging in the air, all got down and bowed to Nico. “The Horned God has appeared to us!” They cried out.

“I am definitely not your god.” Nico waved a hand and they all shot to their feet. His dark gaze found the man in the tree. “But that...” He pointed to the antlers. “If I ever see you wearing those again, I'll turn you into a deer.” He slipped his hands into his pockets and turned back to Jason. “Are you done with these buffoons?”

“Um, you...” Jason blew out a breath. “I don't think, you know, they need to remember this.”

Nico gave a small nod. With a flick of his hand, the man from the tree fell down. The antlers ended up breaking, but the guy seemed unharmed. Extending his hand and holding out his palm, an apple appeared in Nico's head. A deep, deep shade of red. The color of blood. But it was perfect to look at, and the members of the circle thought so, too.

“Eat,” Nico commanded. The woman Jason had talked to took the first bite before passing it down, and they each ate a bite. Once it was done, the man that had worn the antlers dropped the core to the ground, where it slowly shriveled and turned black. Nico's eyes were back to their normal dark brown color. “There. Happy?”

The adults just sort of sat there on their knees, blank looks on their faces. Jason gave them each an odd look before jogging after Nico. “What was that?”

The boy shrugged. “Just a little fun. They won't remember anything, and they'll wake up in half an hour. They'll feel refreshed and carry on with their dumb practice.”

“But it's what you practice.”

Nico stopped, putting a hand to Jason's chest. “That is not what I practice. That is a mockery of my craft. If you want to know about us, just ask, don't go to people like that.” Jason gulped and nodded. Nico was a little scary now. The boy huffed and continued on his way. “They'll be fine, though.”

“You didn't seem to like that one guy.”

Nico stopped again, sliding his hands into his pockets. “No, I didn't. In our craft, we don't dawn apparel to represent the Horned God or the Triple Goddess.”

Jason was the one to stop Nico this time. “Okay, so who is that? I've heard of the Triple Goddess in myth or something.”

“Not myth.” Nico shook his head. “Unlike a lot of religions, people that actually possess magic have been known to see or commune with our gods.” Nico chewed on his lip, thinking about something. “The Horned God, The Lord, the Old One. Or even older still, Cernunnos. He has many names. He is what the Christian church wants to call our Satan.”

“Is he,” Jason hesitated, “evil?”

“What have I said about magic?” Nico asked exasperatedly.

“Right.” Jason rubbed the back of his neck. “So, um, why get angry at that guy for wearing that stuff?”

“Like I said, we don't do it. It's considered a mockery of Cernunnos to do so. Sort of like how the Bible condemns false idols, except our god never told us not to. It's just sort of a sign of respect for our gods.”

Jason frowned. “How did you even find me?”

Nico vanished in a cloud of smoke. “Magic.” Jason jumped. Nico was now behind him, smirking. He shook his head before holding out his palm. Another red apple was there. Quirking a brow at Jason, Nico held his palm out for the blue-eyed boy. “Apple?”

Jason quickly shook his head. Nico just shrugged and raised the apple to his lips, taking a bite.

When the arrived at Jason's car, the blue-eyed boy looked around. “Um, where's your car?”

Nico shrugged. “I took it home.” Jason seemed confused by this. “And then I shadowed over here.”

“What's that?”

“Like teleporting, but different houses have different forms of it.”

Jason gave a nod. His head felt so burnt out that he was afraid it might start smoking at any moment. “You know,” Jason began, “I think that's all I need to know about magic for today. My head is starting to hurt.”

Nico smiled and nodded. Jason unlocked his car, but the other boy just stood there. When Jason looked over at him, Nico shook his head. “I'm fine.”

“Or you could let me drive you home. Not everything needs to be done with magic.”

Nico shoved him against the car. “I don't use magic for my convenience, thank you very much.”

Jason arched a brow. “Never?”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “Shut up and drive me home,” he mumbled and climbed in on the other side. Jason smiled and climbed in.

The drive to Nico's house helped a lot. Processing that Nico willingly displayed his powers in front of mortals, only to wipe their memories, was a little concerning. It made Jason wonder if this had ever happened with the people in Aimes. This was an hour away, something not so easily traceable to Nico, though the people wouldn't remember anyways. But what if they had done something similar to some of the people in Aimes? Why hadn't they done it to this other person that knew about them?

By the time they arrived in front of Nico's house, Jason's head was even worse. It was a little after eleven, and Jason just wanted to go home and pass out for the night. At first, it was all exciting to learn magic did exist, though a little freaky. But now it just gave him a headache to try and keep up with the rules, what they could do, and how it all worked. No wonder they tended to keep it to themselves, normal people would have their brains fried trying to understand it all.

It had started raining again during their drive, so Jason offered to walk Nico to the door with his umbrella. Nico said Jason didn't have to, but Jason made the excuse that it wouldn't raise suspicion with Nico's father. Nico mumbled that he could just dry off once inside.

“You're a dork,” Nico mumbled once they were on the porch.

Jason smiled at that. “So, I guess I won't see you until Monday?”

Nico gave a small nod. “Sorry.” He bit down on his lip. “But thanks... I had fun.”

“I bet you did,” Jason grinned.

“Not torturing people,” Nico growled. Sighing, Nico rolled his eyes. “You're... not as bad as I thought you were originally.”

Jason smiled again and rubbed the back of his neck. “Not so bad yourself.” A stray strand of hair caught Jason's attention. His heart pounded in his chest as he reached out to fix it. As he slowly pushed the strand out of Nico's face, their eyes locked. Now, after witnessing what Jason had, he liked to think he was a very brave man for doing what he did next.

Without saying anything, Jason leaned in and pressed their lips together. The best part? Nico let him do it. The worst part? Well, that was the weird part. Jason's eyes widened and he drew away when a spark crackled between their lips, on top of the lights on the porch shooting out. Nico reached up and touched his lips. It had been so hot, and not in the good kind of way. It had burned, but not quite so painful. It was like a searing heat, like Jason had felt when he touched Nico on Percy's birthday.

Jason touched his lips with a frown. “If you didn't want me to kiss you, you could have just said so,” he mumbled.

Nico rolled his eyes, still rubbing his lips. “I didn't do anything, jerk.” Running a hand through his hair, Nico sighed. He seemed to be in deep thought, whatever was on his mind. “It is interesting, though.”

As if things could not have gotten worse, there was a tapping against one of the window. Nico rolled his eyes and waved at the window. Persephone smiled out at the two. Nico let out a long sigh. Jason supposed that meant their time was up. With a final wave at Jason, Persephone closed the curtain on the window. Nico was looking down when Jason looked at him again.

“Well, I guess I'll see you later,” Jason said. He lifted the umbrella over his head again before stepping out under the rain.

But, to his surprise, Nico grabbed his arm and turned him around. The brown-eyed boy's hand gripped the front of his shirt and yanked Jason down. The older boy's eyes widened as Nico crashed their lips together. Not about to let this opportunity slip by him, Jason let go of the umbrella and cupped Nico's face, deepening the kiss. Nico's fists gripped his shirt tighter.

Jason slipped a hand into Nico's rain soaked hair. There was no heat this time, no shock to their lips. As hard as it was raining, the two were probably soaked from head to toe in a matter of seconds, but Jason honestly did not care at the moment. He finally had gotten Nico to kiss him, and that was all that mattered presently.

A slow warmth spread out from Nico's lips, covering the boy's cheeks under Jason's hands. The blond cracked an eye open, surprised to find Nico's skin visibly looking more healthy. He looked alive. Well he was alive, but he looked less sickly. And Nico's hands were warm when they reached up to touch Jason's. What was this?

Once they were out of breath, Nico lightly pushed on Jason's chest and pulled away. His lips were swollen, and it only made Jason want to kiss the other boy more. So he did. It was a quick peck on the lips, but Nico still let him do it.

“I, um,” Nico patted Jason's chest, “shouldn't have done that.” He blew out a breath. “Don't know what came over me.”

Jason just nodded and slid his fingers into the back of Nico's hair, pulling the boy in for another kiss. One of Jason's arms slid down to wrap around the shorter boy's waist, pulling their bodies together. Nico let out a moan, but lightly pushed Jason back.

The boy ran his tongue along his lips with a chuckle. “I think I'm going to have to restrain you.”

Jason grinned. “To your bed?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “And there goes the moment.” He shook his head. “Just don't let this go to your head, I'm still not sure if dating you is the best idea.”

Jason leaned in again. “Doesn't mean you shouldn't.”

Nico dipped his head to the side and Jason kissed his cheek. With the rain soaking them, their hair hung in both of their eyes. Reaching up, Jason tilted Nico's head and pressed their lips together again. Nico pulled away. “I... really need to go inside.”

Jason nodded. He smiled, running his hand through his wet hair. “So, another date?”

“Who said either of these nights have been a date?” Nico brushed his wet hair out of his face. “I'll think about it, and I'll give you an answer before next weekend.” Jason smiled and nodded before he attempted to get one last kiss. Unfortunately, Nico lightly pushed him away with a chuckle. “Go! You're gonna get sick out here.”

As it turned out, he wasn't going to. Once Jason was in his car, he turned dry. Nico stuck his tongue out and gave a little wave before turning around and heading back inside his house, tossing Jason one final glance from the doorway.

Jason just fell back against his seat and tossed his hands up against the roof of his car. His night had been so good. Not even just one kiss, he had gotten a few. And even better, Nico had seemed happy afterward. Things might have been looking up for Jason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. That new scene is important in two different ways, which will come up later. So, for chapter 12, I am going to be doing some drastic work. You guys probably remember how I said I would be inserting a new chapter, well that chapter is going to be the new 12. I scanned over 12 and saw that it was mostly a filler chapter, so this new one will replace it. So it will predominately be a new experience for both new and old readers. You will also get your first look at the nephilims that Nico spoke of in the previous chapter, and see more of why Nico spoke cautiously about them. But I will be taking a few parts from the old 12 that I thought were important, so there's that.
> 
> Not sure when I'll update again, but I'll likely start on 12 tonight. I've been excited for this new chapter, so I'd like to see it published as soon as possible, while making it as good as it should be. So I might have an update in the next two weeks, maybe less.


	12. Sell Your Soul, Down at the Crossroads

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I ended up taking a few parts from the old version of this chapter and splicing them together to make the first half of the chapter. Mainly the important parts that helped build a basis for what is going on in the coven or explanations of magic. And plot points, of course. So one of my favorite urban legends from the south here in the United States has always been the significance of the crossroads. Especially involving Blues music. People selling their souls for the ability to play and write good music. So that played a lot into this chapter.

Almost a week later, Jason found himself walking down the families' road with Nico, Percy, and Annabeth after school Friday afternoon. Although, honestly, the week had been a blur to him. It had gotten to the point where Ms. Stheno had gotten irritated with him for not paying attention a single day that week. But how did anyone expect him to pay attention to the older woman, when Nico's lips were looking so appealing?

Not that they had kissed since the previous weekend.

Annabeth had made him a list of each driveway and who it belonged to. The first house on the left belonged to Clarisse and Frank's family, and across the road from them was Beckendorf and Leo's house. Next was Dionysus and Demeter's houses. Annabeth's house came after that, which had a large field across the road from it. Next was the house Jason knew to belong to Luke's family, and across from it was Artemis' home. A little down the road was Silena and Piper's house, and then across from it was Rachel's house.

“Hera adopted her when she was a baby,” Nico whispered to him as they walked past the old gate with peacock feathers for iron bars. Nico slipped his hands into his pockets. “She can be nice, but also very bitter. Her last husband cheated on her.”

Annabeth let out a sigh. “It would have been nice, seeing the changing of leadership in a house. But since Hera is no longer married, she remains the Head of House. The last time we got to see the change in house leadership...” Her eyes drifted over to Nico, who frowned and kicked at a rock.

Jason looked at Nico questioningly, but the boy was staring at his feet.

They continued on with their tour down the road, clearly wanting to avoid the subject. “Here's Apollo's house,” Annabeth said, motioning to a gate with a sun and harp in the center of the gate.

They came to the end of the road a little after that. There were still three gates left, which made Jason do a quick recount in his head to make sure he got the numbers right. He still came up with one extra.

He knew the one on the right was Nico's house and the one on the left belonged to Percy. Their gates were different than the others, though. The one on the left was made of larimar, while the one on the right was obsidian. Their gates seemed taller as well. But there was still the matter of the gate at the very end of the road.

The others didn't even seem to want to take Jason near it, and Nico tried to grab him as the blue-eyed boy moved closer to inspect it. There were no symbols on it like the other gates, and it creaked as the wind blew it gently. Vines and moss had overtaken the metal gate, growing wildly all around the iron fence. The woods felt thicker around the gate, and he even got the feeling that something might be watching him. Jason shivered and took a step back from the large gate.

A gust of wind picked up around them and blew some of the leaves that covered the road around the families' homes. He glanced over his shoulder at the other three, motioning towards the large gate. “What's this one?”

“Nothing,” Percy quickly said.

Annabeth rolled her eyes at the green-eyed boy and walked up to the gate. She gave a shrug before turning around to face Jason. “Just an old house we don't use anymore. It was the first one that our families built when we came here. We needed a place to live, so we made one for all of us to live in. It's sort of why we stuck with the large house theme, so we didn't outdo each other.”

Nico's expression was blank when Jason glanced over at the boy. He blinked dully at the blonde as she gripped one of the metal bars of the gate. Jason's lips tilted down. “So, you have thirteen houses, one of which is vacant?” He shook his head. “I kind of want to hate all of you,” the boy chuckled. “You have an empty mansion just going to waste.”

They ended up in the large field across the road from Annabeth's house. The grass wasn't really maintained, so most of it came above their heads whenever they sat down. Percy wanted to show Jason something cool, and was doing his best impression of a sad baby seal to get Nico to do it with him.

Nico was reluctant to do whatever it was at first, but Percy kept begging him. “You'll think this is cool,” the green-eyed boy told Jason.

“Boys,” Annabeth mumbled with the roll of her eyes.

Nico finally rolled his eyes and held his hand out. Grinning wildly, Percy propped himself up on his elbow and held his own hand out until it was only an inch apart from Nico's. A faint red glow emanated between their two palms, and eventually a bright, blood red line appeared in the center of both of their palms.

Nico held his hand out for Jason to witness red marks appear around the red line. They looked like runes. Nico flexed his hand, and eventually the markings went away.

Jason's brow furrowed. “What was that?”

Percy grinned. “Nico and I are blood brothers. It means we've sworn an oath to protect each other.”

Nico let out a sigh and rolled his sleeves down to cover his hand. “I never asked you to do it.”

Percy gave a shrug before turning back to Jason. “A few of us are bonded. It just means that we'll do whatever we have to in order to ensure our partner's safety.”

Jason gave a nod. “Is that why you two are close?” He asked, motioning between the two.

Percy grinned and slung an arm around Nico. “Nah, this guy was already my best buddy before then. We were practically raised together as babies.” He smiled at Jason. “I just wanted him to feel safe after...” His smile faltered and the tan boy glanced down at Nico. “Well, after everything that happened.”

Oh, Jason thought. It was unspoken, but Jason understood. After Nico's mother died.

“I think Luke was a little hurt that Nico didn't pick him,” Annabeth mused, picking at some grass.

Nico pulled his legs under his chin and frowned. “And he knows why I didn't let him do that. It probably would have killed him.”

Annabeth cleared her throat and caught Jason's eye. “To bond, witches and warlocks have to be on a similar degree of power. There is a hierarchy. Luke is a strong warlock, but-”

“That's enough!” Nico snapped. The grass around the boy had wilted and died.

Jason glanced at Nico, though the boy seemed caught up in his own thoughts. He still wanted to know their story, but Jason wasn't sure now was the best time to ask about it. There was no telling how Nico would even react.

For a little while after that, Percy described to Jason how the process worked. It sounded very painful, as it involved cutting their palms and smearing the blood to act as the runes that appeared whenever they wanted to see their bond. Percy confessed that it feels like the body was on fire, but Nico just claimed that Percy was a big baby.

There was something to that which Annabeth seemed to want to comment about, but she didn't. Jason watched her as she frowned down at the grass. Maybe Percy wasn't exaggerating that it hurt for him? But he was just as strong as Nico, right? That was why they bonded. Right?

All too soon for Jason's liking, Annabeth announced that they had to leave. Jason asked if they wanted to do anything later, but Percy said that they had to go to a special sort of lesson tonight. Nico rolled his eyes at that. “It's just something Firsts have to do every so often,” he mumbled to Jason.

Jason gave a nod, slipping his hands into his pockets. He chewed on his lip as Percy and Annabeth started to head back to the road. “It's okay,” said the blue-eyed boy. He gave a lopsided smile. “Any chance I could see you later tonight?”

Nico glanced over his shoulder briefly. “I... don't know.” The pale boy frowned, causing Jason's heart to drop. “I'm still not sure this is the best idea.”

“Please?”

Nico bit down on his lip. “I'll talk to you later, Jason,” Nico whispered before turning around and began to walk away.

“I still have those dreams.”

The brown-eyed boy turned and quirked an eyebrow at him, but did not look that surprised. “It's nothing to worry about.” He shrugged. “They probably just need to run their course. Nothing I can do about them if they were put there.”

“Nothing?”

Nico gave a shrug. “I mean, if the haunting wasn't the cause of it, then they were put there separately. It's possible that Medea did both, though I fail to see why she would.” He shook his head. “She got irritated at me when I accused her of sending a spirit after you. She claimed that she had better things to do than haunt someone like you, but I still wouldn't put it past her.”

Jason frowned. “But why would she want me to have the dreams?”

“I don't know,” Nico said softly. He looked at his feet, crossing his arms. “I mean...” His brow furrowed. “No, that wouldn't make sense. Or maybe it does.” Jason quirked a brow. Nico no longer seemed to be talking to him. “He never sealed her away after that.”

“Nico?”

The boy looked up, like he had entirely forgotten Jason was still standing there. “Sorry. It's nothing. Maybe she just wants to freak you out.”

Jason slowly nodded and sighed. He reached out for Nico when the boy went to leave again. Nico gave him an odd look. Jason smiled before brushing some of Nico's hair out of his face. “Why do I feel so drawn to you?” He whispered.

Nico reached up to touch the hand that lingered against his cheek. “Mortals have been known to experience a state of euphoria around our kind.” The boy did not seem to want to look Jason in the eye. “That's one of the lessons we have to learn. Mortals find us appealing... and sex with us is supposed to be nearly addictive.”

Jason grinned, but Nico put his hands to Jason's face. Jason pouted.

Nico rolled his eyes. “Don't get any ideas.”

Jason rubbed his neck. “What about other witches and warlocks?”

Nico eyed him funny for a brief moment. “Nothing unique, though some rituals can be so intense that they require sex with one another, but those are extremely rare.” He crossed his arms, looking up at Jason with a sigh.

Jason gave a slow nod. “I do get this weird feeling around some of you, especially you. But I also think some of Silena's family has tried to do something to my head.”

Nico's lips tilted up in a smirk. “That's a little different. Drew has... a unique set of powers. Aphrodite, Mitchell and Piper do as well, though they are more controlled with their powers.” He frowned and slowly let one of his hands slide down Jason's arm. “Drew doesn't regard mortals as anything important, and she will often have them do her bidding. It's not really potent on us, not that she'd try it on us. But mortals have a very hard time resisting her requests.”

“It didn't really mess with me,” Jason admitted.

“I know,” Nico muttered, seeming annoyed. “Believe me, I know. Silena pointed it out to me.” He let out a breath. “Nobody seemed to influence you, except for when I tried.”

“You said that all of you possess some degree of each unique type of magic.” Jason reached up and touched Nico's chest. “Is that why I feel so drawn to you? Everything about you is intoxicating to me. I just want to be near you all the time.”

Nico leaned into Jason's touch when the hand brushed against his cheek. “No,” he whispered. “It's not the same. I haven't quite figured it out yet, but I feel it, too.” The brown-eyed boy shook his head with a sad look. “I feel tethered to you. I don't even need the breath of life anymore, not with you around so much nowadays. You might have noticed the changes in my body temperatures. There's more about me that I haven't told you, but I'll try to simplify this. Cold is bad, warm is good.” He slowly traced his fingertips across Jason's palm. “I'll let you know when I have something concrete.”

Irritation seemed to boil up within him. It wasn't really fair that Nico was keeping this from him. He was just as much involved in whatever this was as Nico. So why couldn't Nico just try to help him understand? “Why can't you just give me a theory?” Jason said, a little angrier than he had intended.

Nico narrowed his eyes and pushed Jason's hand away. “You act like I hide everything from you. I've tried to accommodate you after you found out about us.” The forest seemed to darken around the them, even though it was the middle of the day. “I tried to help you the best I could, so you wouldn't freak out. I think I've been very open with you.”

“I'm sorry,” Jason quickly said, reaching out and taking Nico's hand. “Okay? Just... calm down. I shouldn't have snapped.”

Nico slowly pulled away, but kept his hand intertwined with Jason's. “There's a lot of reasons I'm hesitant to date you, Jason. At first, it was mostly to do with the differences between us. I'm a warlock and you're a mortal.”

“And?”

Nico's lips tilted down. He shook his head. “I don't think we should talk about that just yet.” He let out a sigh and looked into the woods. “That part's too complicated, and I'm still trying to figure out the best time and best way to tell you.”

Jason gave Nico a lopsided smile. “I'm sure it's not that big of a deal.”

Nico didn't seem to agree. The boy's dark gaze drifted back over to him. “Eventually, though, it became about you only living here temporarily. I figured you'd just leave at the end of the year, and then I'd never see you again. I thought you'd just go back to California and maybe meet someone else.” He slowly pulled his hand away from Jason. “I don't really want to be just a passing phase.”

He wanted to tell Nico that wasn't true. Jason didn't see Nico as a passing phase. He wanted to be with Nico, and the longer he stayed here, the stronger that feeling became. When he was with Nico, Jason felt like he was finally at home. He felt like he was where he was meant to be. And there were times where Jason started to realize that he liked Nico more than anyone before. Lee had been the longest and had probably been the strongest Jason had been able to feel towards someone, but that one dream guy kept getting in the way. Lee was fun and they got along very well, but there was just something different about Nico. Perhaps this was what it felt like on Nico's end with Jason.

He didn't think about this dream guy with Nico. In truth, he felt kind of whole around Nico, like he often did when that ghostly boy entered his dreams. If it wasn't just a dream, Jason might begin to wonder. Maybe he should, now that he knew about magic. But what were the chances that someone across the country had found his way into Jason's dreams. And why?

As Nico began to leave again, Jason blurted out, “What's the deal with your dog?”

That made Nico laugh, and it was like music to Jason's ears. “Oh. He's a familiar.”

Jason frowned and glanced down at the boy. “I thought that was just cats.”

“No.” Nico shook his head. “There are several animals associated with witchcraft. Each of them can classify as a familiar. But Cerberus is special. He's a hellhound.”

“A what?” Jason's eyes widened. Didn't hellhounds drag people to hell? Hence the name.

Nico rolled his eyes and sat back down in the grass, Jason doing the same. “He's very obedient, calm down.”

“What is it, though? I've heard the legends about them, but I don't know how much is made up.”

“Oh.” Nico blinked, pulling up a flower from the ground. “A hellhound can shift between our world and the afterlife. They can act as guides for spirits to the afterlife, or they can drag an unwilling spirit back to their domain. We keep Cerberus around to keep spirits in line.”

Jason's fingers itched to reach out and touch Nico. “He seems to listen pretty well.”

“Because he can listen,” Nico mumbled. “He completely understands what we say. Why do you think I shut the door last weekend when he was laying in the hallway? I didn't need him reporting to my father, I already have enough problems keeping things private in that house.”

“Wait.” Jason made the timeout symbol. “You said he can tell your father things?”

Jason felt sick when Nico nodded. “Yeah? Anyone connected to death can understand him.” He grinned at the pale look on the taller boy's face. “If it helps, he can also change his size and form. You've only seen him in his disguise.”

Jason let out a silent groan. “He gets bigger?” He asked meekly. He had to clear his throat to keep from squeaking. “Like what are we talking?”

“Um, well,” Nico chuckled. “His teeth can get longer, he is about the size of me, and his eyes will glow red.” He patted Jason's arm. “Oh, and he can shadow travel like I can. Except think bigger, like anywhere on the planet.”

Suddenly, Jason didn't feel so well. He made a mental note to never hurt Nico, because he feared that Hades would send that dog to rip out Jason's soul and drag it back to the terrifying father, who would probably torture Jason for the rest of the man's days.

Nico let out a heavy sigh, which brought Jason back to the event at hand. “I suppose I should just tell you about the house as well, while we're at it.” He crossed his legs and began running the palm of his hand over the blades of grass. “So, the reason I told you not to say anything in the house was because we sort of have a lot of spirits that reside there.”

Jason sat up, his brow furrowed. “Like... permanently?”

Nico slowly nodded. “I didn't really want them reporting anything to my father.” He chewed on his lip as he watched Jason. “And, well, there's some in the basement that I hope you never have to encounter.”

“Why do you keep them in the house?” Jason hissed.

Nico pursed his lips, causing Jason to regret his tone. “It wasn't my choosing. It's just a long story, something that happened a very long time ago. Um, like around the Civil War.”

Jason moved closer to the boy, pulling Nico back against the blue-eyed boy's chest. “Can they hurt people?”

Nico was quiet. Jason looked down to find the boy chewing on his lip. “They can't physically touch normal people, and that includes witches and warlocks.” Something about the way Nico said that didn't sit right with Jason. “But they can, you know, knock things over and hurt people that way. My father keeps the bad ones sealed in the basement, though.”

The two sprang apart when someone cleared their throat.

Percy and Annabeth were standing a distance away. The blonde was tapping her foot, while Percy looked rather amused. Nico's face was red as he shot to his feet. “I'm so sorry! We started talking, and I got distracted.”

Jason smiled. “Sorry for getting you in trouble.”

Percy waved it off. “It's cool. We understand that you need alone time.” He winked at Nico, who gave him a shove. “But we probably should get going.”

“Before the adults raise questions,” Annabeth added.

Jason shook his head as he walked back to his car. That had been interesting. Their world was fascinating, to say the least. A little scary, but fascinating. Who knew how scary it actually was, though. Perhaps he would find out, if Jason continued down this road.

\---------------------------------

Monday was not a good day. Not for Jason anyways. With everything that had happened, even over this past weekend, he had forgotten to study for a test that Ms. Hestia was giving them. The blond felt rather sick as he pulled his English book from his locker. How could he have forgotten? He was supposed to be a straight A student, and now he was probably going to fail this test.

Why couldn't it just be canceled? That would be great, but no. Instead, Jason was going to struggle and probably do horrible. He had not paid attention in any of his classes last week, since all he could think about was the fact that magic was real and that he had kissed Nico. The latter one felt slightly more important to him, but that was just Jason's opinion.

“You ready?” Came Eros' voice, startling Jason. The brunet chuckled when Jason turned around. “Sorry, didn't mean to sneak up on you.”

“I'm fine. Sort of.” The blond shut his locker. “Honestly, I didn't even get a chance to study.”

“You did seem rather out of it last week.”

Jason took in a deep breath as they headed for their class. “Had a lot on my mind.” The blond gazed at Eros. “How are you?”

Eros licked his lips and held his books closer to his chest. “Thanks again for giving me a ride home. I probably would have drowned in that rain Saturday.”

Jason chuckled and waved the guy off. “It was no trouble at all, really.” He blew out a breath. “I just really wish that we didn't have to take this test today. If I could just have another day to study, I would be totally fine.”

It seemed like luck was on Jason's side today. When they entered the room, Ms. Hestia was blowing her nose and massaging her head. She turned her chair around and began writing on the board as Jason sat down. The blond's eyes widened as he read what she wrote.

Test canceled. Talk among yourselves. Quietly!

“It seems like you got your wish after all,” Eros leaned across the aisle to whisper to Jason. He got up and moved to sit in the desk beside Jason, which surprised even Rachel, who sat behind him. Not that the boy talked to her, but it was just surprising. “So... you're bisexual?”

Jason snorted. “That's a pretty blunt way of asking.” He nodded. “I am. I like Nico di Angelo, actually.”

“I kind of figured that out,” Eros whispered. “You stare at him a lot at lunch. Even when you were sitting with us.” He let out a sigh. “You can still talk to me, you know, even if the others are shunning you.”

“Your friends are not the brightest,” Reyna spoke up. Eros blinked at her in surprise. The girl just shrugged. “What? It's true.”

“Uh...” Eros finally glanced between the two girls behind him and Jason. Right, Jason thought to himself, Eros wasn't supposed to associate with them because of his father. “You are right.”

“You don't-” Jason began, but Eros held a hand up.

“It's fine.” He turned in his seat to face Reyna. “I don't hate you, just saying. I mean... Some weird things happen, and sometimes you guys seem to be connected to those events. Even so, I don't hate you. And I don't think you worship the devil.”

Rachel eyed the boy sadly as she drew in her notebook. “You know, there is a number that you can call, if you're having problems.”

“Rachel,” Reyna hissed. The red haired girl just shrugged.

Eros blinked at Rachel. “How did you...? Is it that obvious?” He let out a sigh. “I am fine. I know that my father's drinking is kind of infamous around town, but everything is fine.”

Rachel's brow furrowed. She looked like she wanted to say more, but chose not to. Jason really had to wonder what was going on in that head of hers. Knowing what he did now, there was no telling what she knew. She knew the future, at least that was what he had been told. Maybe that explained her initial reaction to seeing Jason. Not completely, but it was something to go on. But why did she seem relieved to see Jason when he first moved here?

When class let out, Hestia stopped them all from leaving to let them know that the test would be tomorrow, and to make sure that they are all extra prepared. Jason was just happy that he would have another night to study. Unfortunately, he had track after this, so he wouldn't have study hall. He would just get to studying as soon as he got home.

“How do you stand wearing clothes like that?” Reyna asked Eros as they left the classroom. “You always look like you're about to go to church.”

Eros blinked down at his attire. He had on a finely pressed button up shirt and some khaki pants on. It was pretty much his standard attire. The guy always dressed nice, but even Jason could not stand wearing nice clothes like that for very long. He hated award ceremonies because of that very reason.

“It's just what I have always worn,” Eros shrugged. The boy shouldered his backpack and fell into line to walk with the other three. “I do wear shorts in the summer.”

“At least he doesn't tuck his shirts in,” Rachel pointed out.

“You look fine, Eros,” Jason chuckled, nudging the brunet.

Eros flashed a smile at them. “I-”

“Eros!”

The brunet paled at the sound of Khione's voice. The girl stood in front of them, Kelli and Dylan at her side. Reyna looked like she wanted to hit all of them. She'd probably win.

“What the hell are you doing with those two?” Khione sneered. “Jason is already a lost cause, don't throw yourself in with these heathens.” She narrowed her gaze. “Do I need to have my mother call your father?”

“No!” Eros cried out in panic. “I mean, no.” He took in a breath. “I just... Our test got canceled, and I...”

Khione shook her head. “Stop being so nice to everyone. It really is not needed on the likes of them. Save it for those that actually believe in God.”

“Why don't you mind your own business?” Reyna snapped.

“It's fine,” Eros whispered as he stepped over to stand between Kelli and Dylan. He gave a small smile to Jason. “Bye, Jason.”

The blond let out a sigh as the four of them walked away. “Eros is too good for them.” Reyna nodded in agreement. Jason crossed his arms, still staring after the group. “I really don't like Khione.”

“Join the club,” Reyna muttered. “She thinks she is queen, and just tries her best to run the school.”

“At least she will be gone after this year,” Rachel reminded them. “The younger ones won't have to deal with her or her friends. There will still be plenty of other assholes, yes, but their queen will be gone.” She gave a big smile to the other two. “Besides, she'll be out of this town. At least she hopes so. And, if that is the case...”

“That is good,” Reyna breathed out. Her brow furrowed. “Still not sure if it'll make a difference. She is a bitch, whether we are around or not.”

“True.”

“What are you two talking about?” Jason asked.

“Nothing,” Rachel replied, narrowing her eyes at the blond to tell him to shut up. Reyna did not know that Jason knew yet, so they could not have this conversation in front of her.”

\---------------------------

Later that night, Jason found himself in another moment from the past. Kronos walked up the stairs of the house that now belonged to Nico. His clothes were heavily tattered, Jason noted, as he pushed open the door. Kronos instantly frowned.

There was a lot of things broken in the house, ranging from pictures to plates. It even looked like some of the curtains had caught fire. He stepped over a broken potted plant and made his way towards the sound of glass breaking.

Tartarus had just sat down in a chair when Kronos stepped into the dining room. The boy's brown eyes flickered up with a dark look. Something was different about Tartarus now, though. His eyes were darker, his skin paler. Dark bruises trailed down his right arm. His face was dirty and his hair was cut shorter than he had kept it back in Salem.

He sighed at the sight of Kronos. “I was beginning to wonder if you were even still alive.”

Kronos frowned as a woman swept some broken shards of glass from the floor in the kitchen. “What happened?”

“What do you think happened?” Tartarus sat back in his chair, slumping down. “You weren't here, things got destroyed. You should just be lucky your mother let us drive them off.” His eyes seemed hollow somehow as he stared up at Kronos.

It was then that Kronos took notice of blood dripping onto the table. He shot forward and grabbed Tartarus's hand, which was clutching a piece of glass. Tartarus let out a disturbing chuckle as Kronos took the piece of glass from him. Silver liquid dripped off the end of the shard, dissolving into the table.

Kronos's eyes flared with anger. “How did this happen? I thought you were going to take care of it?” Hissing, the boy's eyes began to turn gold. “You know there isn't a second that I can give you.”

Kronos looked around as ghostly hands attempted to claw their way out of the walls of the dining room. His brow furrowed as he turned back to the brown-eyed boy at the table. “Maybe you should have thought about that before you left all of us,” Tartarus hissed.

“I wanted to help!”

“You helped the very people that came here and burned most of the land! You helped the people that tried to rape Venus!” The boy's eyes dissolved into dark voids. “You weren't here when-” Tartarus hesitated, clenching his fists. “When we needed you.”

“I didn't know they would do what they did!” Kronos yelled back. He smashed the shard of the vial against the ground. “So, what, you smashed it to get back at me?”

“No,” Tartarus whispered. He turned away, though the hands had yet to stop their attempts of getting out of the walls. “It was Circe.”

Kronos narrowed his eyes. “Circe died back in Salem.”

A pure rage covered Tartarus's face as he whirled around to face Kronos. “I know! Don't think I've forgotten!” To Kronos's surprise, Tartarus punched him square in the jaw. “It was your fault she died. It all started because you broke your oath, it was all doomed from there.” He let out a cold laugh as Kronos massaged his jaw. “We doomed our own coven, and now we all just have to live with this curse.”

Kronos frowned and reached out, gripping Tartarus by the chin. He peered at the boy's face, though the boy struggled to pull away. “What happened to you, Taratarus?”

Tartarus knocked the hand away. He was silent, his eyes hidden behind his black bangs. A manic grin crept onto the boy's pale lips. “I did it,” he whispered.

Kronos's brow furrowed. “What have you done?”

Still grinning, Tartarus looked up, revealing the dark glint in his eyes. “What no one ever could. I achieved the impossible while you were gone, Kronos.” He motioned around the house, seemingly in a better mood. “I proved your mother right. I was more powerful than my father, and now his soul rots for eternity.”

“Tartarus,” Kronos hissed, glancing towards the kitchen. “What happened to the vial? You said Circe broke it. How?”

The other boy was silent, swaying slightly. His smile slowly melted away until a light frown marred his face. Kronos took a step forward.

Kronos was shaking now, fury in his eyes. “How could you bring her back?” He growled. His eyes blazed their golden color. “You brought her back, and she repaid you by breaking the thing I asked you to protect!” He shook his head at the dark look that he found in Tartarus's eyes. “What happened to you, Tartarus?” He asked more softly. “What happened to my best friend? What happened to the happy boy from Salem?”

The shadows on the floor beside Tartarus began to swirl and rise from the wood. Red eyes appeared in the darkness and Tartarus reached out to touch the shadows. Kronos frowned as the shadows took form and a large dog now sat beside Tartarus. The boy's pale hand rested on its head, still staring blankly at Kronos.

The boy's brown orbs dissolved into blackness, blood red irises appearing within them. Tartarus flicked his hand upward, causing shadows to ensnare Kronos. They slowly pulled him down into the floor, while Tartarus just stood there and watched. The boy's next words caused Kronos's eyes to widen.

“He's dead.”

Jason shot up when he felt like he was being suffocated from the darkness. But the second he came to, Jason was shoved up against a stone wall. Flinching, Jason glanced around him. He was in the cemetery. But the worst part was who was in front of him.

“What are you doing here?” Medea yelled in his face.

“I don't know,” Jason answered honestly. That didn't seem to help him any.

The girl did not loosen her grip on Jason's shirt. But something caught his eye. Glancing down, Jason caught sight of a red shimmer in the girl's sleeve. It took his groggy mind a few moments to realize what it was.

His brow furrowed. “Why do you have Nico's necklace?”

Medea shoved him away, glaring angrily at him. “Don't try to change the subject. You're the one intruding here.” She crossed her arms, making sure that the necklace was out of sight. “You need to leave.”

Jason didn't say anything else. He let her lead him towards the gate, though he kept glancing down at her sleeve. He knew that was Nico's necklace, but what would she want with it? And why was she out in the cemetery in the middle of the night with it?

As they neared the gate, Jason stopped when he caught sight of movement from the corner of his eye. Turning his head, Jason barely saw a shadowy figure drift out from behind the mausoleum. His face paled as it jumped straight over the fence. Medea shoved his back as the figure disappeared into the woods and Jason lost sight of it. Something was definitely not right here.

It was half past two by the time he got home. The strangest part? Nico's car was parked on the curb. The boy was leaning against his car, frowning as Jason walked towards him. 

“What are you doing here?” Jason hissed. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

Nico frowned at him. “You're one to talk. Where have you been?” He shook his head with a sigh. “Your front door is unlocked, by the way.”

“I was sleep walking,” Jason muttered. He rubbed the back of his head as he led Nico inside the house. “I had another dream.”

“I am rather curious as to why you are dreaming about my ancestor.” Nico sat down on the couch. “I've had plenty of dreams about him myself. I probably know every day in his life by now, or at least the interesting days. My point is that it is strange because not even my father has dreams about Tartarus.” Nico narrowed his gaze as Jason retrieved a bottle of water from the fridge. “I just... I don't like to think about the possibilities. I'm just going to assume Medea did something. How? I don't know.”

“Speaking of,” Jason interrupted. “Do you have your amulet on you?”

Nico reached for his chest, but already knew it was not there. “I couldn't find it when I left the house. I figured one of the spirits moved it to mess with me.”

“Medea had it.”

“And how would you know that?”

Jason took in a breath and explained everything. The room dropped a few degrees when Jason mentioned the mysterious figure.

“What is she up to,” Nico whispered, standing to his feet. He shook his head. “I don't know what to do. Maybe I should take this to the coven?” He shut his eyes in frustration. “But that could lead them to finding out that you know, and then who knows what they might do.”

“So...”

“I'll just... Give me some time to think.” He took in a deep breath. “Anyways, that is not why I am here. Although, it might be connected, if I'm right. And I hope I am not.”

“What is it?”

Nico licked his lips. “Do you trust me?”

“What?” Jason chuckled. Nico looked incredibly serious. “Of course.”

Nico gave a nod. “Then come with me.”

“Where are we going?” Jason asked as Nico held out his hand. “It's almost three.”

“I know,” was the only reply before Nico and Jason dissolved into darkness.

When they emerged, they were standing in the middle of a crossroads. Jason was not sure where they were, but they seemed to be outside of town. It was deathly silent, not even the wind blew. Nico was already busy at work drawing symbols in the middle of the road. In the center of the crossroads, to be precise.

“What are you doing?” Jason asked.

Nico stood up and took a breath. “I need answers. The coven doesn't know, nobody does. I couldn't control that ghost, and only someone powerful could put a rune like that on a ghost to make it not obey me. I need answers.” He held up a hand. “Just... promise me that you won't tell anyone about this? I know what I'm doing. I am prepared for what I am doing.”

“Nico...” Jason did not like the sound of Nico's voice. He sounded... He almost sounded frightened. What were they doing out here in the middle of the night? Why this spot? “I trust you.”

Nico nodded and went back to drawing. After he was done, he put some objects around four small circles that outlined the giant red circle that Nico had drawn. “They can give me answers. And it will be bound inside of this circle. I think that whoever branded that ghost might have something to do with the strange things that have been going on lately. Someone has been trying to break into the mausoleum, Medea might be helping them, and pastors are dying. This is dark magic, and I have to find answers.”

Jason's blood ran a little cold as he stared down at the red circle. “Nico... what are you summoning? I'm assuming this is to summon something.”

Again, Nico nodded. “It's a nephilim.” He paused and turned to Jason with a deep breath. “I need you to know what we are dealing with. You wanted to know more about our world, that's why you went to those mortals, so I'm trying to show you this. But this is not a game. This is dangerous, and I don't think it's possible for you to imagine just how dangerous. I need you to know what a nephilim is if I am going to bring one here to our world.”

“What do you mean 'to our world'?”

Nico pulled out a knife and held it tightly in his hand. “There is a veil, between our world and that of the dead. And, well, they can act as guides, for starters. You may know them as grim reapers, or angels of death. You may also know them as angels or demons. They are chaotic neutral in reality. They'd smite you just as likely as they might heal you.” The boy frowned down at the summoning circle. “A nephilim is also what urban legends call a crossroads demon. They make deals with mortals, witches, and warlocks. Usually for the person's soul, or something valuable to them. Try not to refer to them as any of those things, though.

“They hate being refereed to as that stuff. And the last thing you want to do is anger a nephilim. Bound or not, it will find a way to make you suffer for insulting it. They are the servants to the gods. Especially Hecate, the Triple Goddess,” Nico continued. “You remember in the Bible, how God wiped out places like Sodom and Gomorrah?” Jason nodded. “I don't know how legit the Bible or the Christian god is, but the destruction of those cities is for real. And these things are what did it. Why? Because they felt like it. They are feared by all in the magical world, even our High Coven. We only deal with them if we have to.”

Jason gulped. He took a moment before he spoke, not wanting his voice to give away how scared he now was. “Are you sure you want to do this? These guys don't sound that nice.”

Nico sighed and conjured a fireball in his hand. “Not really, but we are running out of options.” With that, the boy threw the fire into the circle, where it spread. The fire shot into the air with a hiss, combining and swirling high into the sky. Hands clawed from the base of the fire, many voices screamed from within. Fiery wings spread out from the column of fire. Jason took Nico's hand, which the brown-eyed squeezed back.

The fire vanished and they were left with an empty circle. Jason's brow furrowed as he took a step forward. Was that it? “There isn't anything here.”

A branch snapped behind them, causing the two to jump and turn around. The roads were silent. The wind had finally started to blow, causing the grass to sway lightly. But there was nothing. Jason felt relief wash over him. This thing... it did not sound pleasant. He was even more glad now to find out it had not been one of these nephilim haunting his house.

The two turned back around and jumped

Mrs. Dodds was standing in front of them, a stern look on her face. “What are you two children doing out here in the middle of a road? And in the middle of the night no less.” The woman shook her head. “Wait until I have a word or two with your parents, or Ms. Mellie, in your case, Jason.” She frowned at Nico. “We don't need you corrupting this poor boy more than you already have.”

Jason shook his head, smiling a little. He took a step forward. “It's okay, Mrs. Dodds, we were just-”

Nico squeezed his hand, gripping it tight to prevent Jason from going further. “Do not go in that circle,” he hissed.

Chuckling, Jason let go of Nico's hand. “It's just Mrs. Dodds, Nico.” The woman continued to scowl.

Nico's eyes turned black and he gripped the dagger tighter. “That is not Mrs. Dodds.”

“Oh but it is.” A sly grin spread across the woman's lips as she took her wide brimmed hat off and took a bow. Her brown irises seemed to catch fire, burning away like paper and leaving behind a goldish yellow. Her pupils were dilated, giving her eyes an almost wolfish quality to them. “You rang?” She stood up straight and held the hem of her dress out, admiring it. “You know, this woman's taste in clothing is deplorable.”

“T-that's a nephilim?” Jason stuttered. Nico gave a single nod. Gulping, Jason took a step back.

“Oh now, Jason, don't be like that,” Mrs. Dodds—or the nephilim rather—pouted. “You two summoned me here. I imagine the need is quite dire.” Her eyes flickered over to Nico. “Am I right?” The boy did not respond. “Don'tcha want to make a deal with little ole me?”

“I need to know who is behind all the trouble in this town,” Nico ground out.

“Oh. That's an easy one.” The nephilim frowned at the hat in its hand. With the snap of its fingers, the hat combusted in flames. “I'm doing her a favor, really.” Nico did not look amused. “Oh come on now, she is a nightmare. Isn't this just amusing? I chose the body for that very reason, her being a bitch and all.” The nephilim grinned widely. “As I was saying, you are the cause of your problems.” Still grinning, it pointed at Nico's chest. “You know. It was their fault.”

Nico ground his teeth together. “Just tell me who is killing these pastors? Who is intruding on our sanctuary?”

“Oh. That.” The nephilim gave a sigh and twirled. “You know, I don't know how any of you really stand this. Being in bodies like this, I mean.” It narrowed its eyes. “I remember when I didn't even have to worry about having my own form, but someone-” A red flame shot out of the ground and wrapped around the nephilim's neck. The thing hissed and black wings shot out of Mrs. Dodd's back. “Okay!” The fire retreated to the ground and Mrs. Dodds straightened herself. “What did you want to know again?”

Nico opened his mouth.

“Right, right.” The nephilim patted its hair. It was so strange to Jason, watching this thing control Mrs. Dodd's body. Would she even remember this? “Unfortunately, you know the deal. If you want my help, make me an offer.” With the flip of its wrist, a scroll rolled out from its hand, the end of it hitting the ground. “And sign on the dotted line, of course.”

“This was a bad idea,” Jason voiced. “I'm not going to let you offer anything to it.” He frowned at the nephilim. “Especially not your soul.”

“Which one?” The nephilim scoffed. Jason stared in confusion at Nico, who shook his head. “You know, I see why she doesn't want the High Coven to find out about you. Your very being breaks so many of their laws.” A wicked grin spread across its lips. “I know what she's planning. I could tell you... for a price.”

“What is it talking about, Nico?” Jason inquired.

“Nothing,” Nico replied, locking his gaze with the nephilim. He held out his hand and a bottle of wine appeared in it. “Here. I'm sure this would help with a little information.”

The nephilim flicked its wrist again and the scroll rolled up, vanishing in smoke. It took the bottle from Nico and popped the cork out before tilting the bottle back and downing most of it. “Now I remember why we like your family so much. You know to bring the good shit.” It tossed the empty bottle over its shoulder with a smirk. “I'll tell you what,” it began, its eyes glancing over at Jason, “I will give you a clue, and you can follow that. Free of charge.”

“What's the catch?”

Scoffing, the nephilim folded its arms. “No catch. Personally, I find it all amusing.” The nephilim began pacing the circle with a narrowed gaze. “Jason has seen it, the one you're looking for. Several times.” It chuckled at the annoyed look on Nico's face. “You have no sense of humor.” Sighing, it shook its head. “Go to New Orleans. You know who to talk to, I'm sure. But...” Extending a hand, the nephilim motioned to Jason. “You'll need to take this one with you. Trust me, it'll be worth it. See? I can be nice.” Its eyes gleamed, like a cat about to pounce. “No need for such binding things.”

“I'm sure,” Nico muttered. He lifted the dagger and held it against his palm. “If that's all, I think our business is done.”

“You'll be back,” the thing mused, turning its back to them. “They always come back.”

“I'll pass,” Jason said.

The thing grinned at him, like it knew something. It sent shivers down Jason's spine. The nephilim held out its hand again, now holding another scroll. “Not even to get this?”

Jason frowned. “What is it?”

He reached for it, but the nephilim pulled it away. The nephilim wagged a finger with a grin. “Not so easy. For this, you'll have to make me a deal. And I know you'll want to make one.” It reached out beyond the circle. Red electricity sparked around Mrs. Dodds hands, but it did not seem to bother the nephilim. It touched Jason in the center of the chest. “I'll see you soon, Jason.”

Nico slid the dagger across his palm and stabbed the blood-coated dagger into the circle. The wind swirled around Mrs. Dodds, who grinned as she stared Jason right in the eye. Black wings shot out of her back and enveloped her. Jason blinked and then she was gone.

Nico stared at the summoning circle with a dark look. He did not move when Jason touched him. “You okay?”

The boy finally looked up. “Yeah,” he whispered. “It's just the first time I've actually seen one in person. I don't like them at all.” Jason chuckled at that. “I think we should head home.”

“And you're sure everything is good?” Jason rubbed his chin as he looked at the circle. “It won't come back here, will it?”

“Not unless someone summons it.” The dagger vanished from Nico's hand. “Sending it back and sealing it from coming back to our plane isn't difficult. For mortals, there is no worry. They make their deal and the nephilim leaves. Witches and warlocks don't have it so easy. It just requires some of our blood. Any witch or warlock present during the summon has to use their blood, actually.” He let out a breath. “So it's fine.” A smile crossed Nico's lips. “Nothing is going to get you tonight.”

Jason nodded with a smile. “You could sleep over, just to be sure,” he grinned.

“I'm sure that's-” Nico froze, his eyes glazing over. He shuddered and turned to his left. Without saying anything to Jason, Nico began to walk.

“Um...” Jason jogged after the boy. “Nico? What's going on?”

“Something's wrong. I think... I think someone is in trouble.” He took off running. “We have to hurry before it's too late.”

They ran for a good five minutes before Nico ran off of the road and slid down a ditch. There were some headlights coming at them in the distance, so Jason wasted no time. He followed after Nico, nearly falling into the water of a stream that ran through this part of the area. Nico did not stop, though. He kept moving, pushing branches out of the way and not even caring that his legs were wet.

“Something...” Nico trailed off, coming to a stop. Jason glanced at the boy, who looked perplexed. “It's not waning anymore. I don't understand.” He trudged through the water, which was actually rather cold. “Careful not to disturb a gator.”

Jason froze in the water. “You're joking... right?” Nico did not answer him. It was probably a bit strange, the fact that he was more afraid of an alligator killing him, rather than the magical boy in front of him. “Nico,” the blond hissed.

The brown-eyed boy waved at him to quiet him down. “They are not common, be quiet. They are around these parts, though.” The boy took a breath before he continued forward. “It's up here.”

Nico held his hand up to the sky and the clouds parted, revealing the full moon. Light shown down upon them to reveal the area. The area was sloped and at the base of the land was where the stream ran through the woods. At first, Jason did not see anything, until Nico rolled something over.

Or someone, rather.

Eros lay motionless in the water, his skin drained of its healthy color. Nico vanished into the night with the brunet, reappearing on bank of the stream. Instead of checking for a pulse the normal way, Nico just said, “He's barely hanging on. Help me.”

Jason waded over to them, kneeling beside Eros. “Can't you just... make him not be dying?”

Nico ignored that comment and opened the boy's mouth. Jason expected him to give him CPR, but the raven hair boy pinched his fingers together over Eros's mouth and slowly pulled backwards. Water trailed out of Eros' mouth like a snake. With the fling of his hand, Nico sent the water back into the stream.

Reaching into his pocket, Jason pulled out his phone. “Who should I call?”

Nico let out a breath of exasperation as he thought over his options. “Try Luke, he's probably still awake. Or he will wake up. He's a light sleeper.”

Jason nodded and hit Luke's number. After ringing several times, the blond picked up. “Hello?” Came Luke's groggy voice. “Jason? Do you have any idea what time it is?”

“Yeah... about that,” Jason began. “Nico and I were wondering if you could come here?”

“What?” Luke groaned. He let out a sigh. “I don't want to watch you two have sex.”

“We are not doing that!” Jason felt his cheeks flush.

“Tell him to bring his car,” Nico said.

“What's going on? Nico sounds a little frantic.”

Jason rubbed the back of his head. He looked down at Eros, who was still unconscious. “We need help. Eros is-”

There was a loud crack and the leaves blew all throughout the woods. In the next instant, Luke was standing beside them, hanging up his phone. “What happened?” The older blond demanded.

“We just found him like this,” Nico admitted.

Luke frowned at his friend as he knelt down beside Eros. “And what were you two doing out here at this hour?” Nico did not meet the guy's gaze. “Nico.” Luke sounded rather irritated, like he suspected what had happened.

“We can talk about it later.” Nico motioned to the brunet. “We should help him right now.”

Out of nowhere, Luke pulled a blanket over Eros and wrapped the guy up in it. “Will hasn't moved in yet, has he?” Luke looked up as Nico shook his head. “Dammit. Apollo is in New Orleans.” He frowned at the raven haired boy. “If you were doing what I think you were doing, it would have been nice to still have-”

“No,” Nico snapped. “I will not make a deal like this.”

“The coven allowed it to happen years ago,” Luke countered. Wait, what had happened? “What was he even doing out here?”

Nico waved a hand over Eros' body. “You should ask him yourself. I think he's waking up.”

Sure enough, Eros began to stir. He groaned as he cracked his eyes open. “What... happened?” He hoarsely asked. “I feel strange.” He glanced at the three standing over him. “What are you doing here? You... I...” With another groan, Eros reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He paused as he sat up, staring down at himself. “Where am I?”

“In the woods,” Nico simply stated.

Luke smiled and helped the brunet up, putting an arm around Eros and rubbing the boy's arms through the blanket. “We can take you home.”

“Home.” Eros seemed to zone out for a second. He shuddered after a moment before nodding. “Home would be great. I'm tired, I think.”

When they got back on the road, they found Luke's car waiting for them. Luke let Nico drive, while he sat in the back with Eros. Jason glanced at Eros every so often as they drove, wanting to make sure his friend was okay. Eros did not really talk. He sat there, rubbing his hands together. Probably trying to get warm.

Jason gave them directions to Eros' house. Nico kept glancing at Eros in the rear view mirror, which did not go unnoticed by Jason. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah... I think so,” Nico whispered. The brown-eyed boy's brow furrowed. “I don't know. He was drowning, I felt his life fading away, but he's fine.” He let out a breath. “I just... Why was he out there in the woods at this time of night?”

“I can ask him tomorrow.”

Nico gave a nod. “Yeah.” He glanced at Jason. “You okay? It's been a long night.”

Jason shot Nico a smile. “I'm fine.” He extended his hand across the armrest. “School is going to suck, though.”

After eyeing it for a moment, Nico took Jason's hand in his. Jason smiled and squeezed the pale hand. Chewing on his lip, the blond glanced back at Eros, who looked up when he noticed Jason staring. Eros just stared so blankly at Jason. What had happened out there? Maybe Nico was right to question it.

When they arrived at the house, Jason had to do something he knew might not go over well. At least not with Luke. He helped the other blond get Eros out of the car and then put a hand on Luke's chest. “I think it might be best if I take him to the door. It probably wouldn't go over that well if his father answered the door.”

Luke narrowed his gaze. “But...” He sighed as he looked down at Eros, who was still clutching the blanket.

The guy looked so pitiful. He was still soaked and looked pale. The boy caught Jason's eye, but did not say anything. Luke gave a nod and let go of Eros. Jason smiled with a nod, placing a hand on Eros' shoulder. The blond glanced at Nico, who was still in the car, watching them quietly.

Jason led Eros across the yard, passing under the little archway that he had noticed yesterday. On top of it was a small cross that spun in the wind. Eros stared at it as they walked under the arch. Jason knocked on the door and turned to Eros, who was eyeing the lawn gnome that was by the steps.

“Who in the world is knocking on our door at this hour?” Came a woman's voice from the other side. The door swung open and a middle aged woman stuck her head out, tying her robe. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of her son, soaking wet and bundled up in a blanket. “Eros! What happened?”

There was bump in the house, followed by some cursing. A muscular man stuck his head out, rubbing his knee. “Eros?” He stared at his son, like he wasn't sure the boy was actually there. “You... should be in bed.”

The boy in question wasn't even looking at them. Instead, he was looking back the way they came. The parents took notice of this and frowned at the car. “Who are they?” The mother asked.

“Not important,” Jason supplied. “We just found him in some water, thought we would bring him home.”

The father reached out and touched Eros' arm. The boy did not even seem to notice. “Was he... okay?”

“We managed to wake him up.”

Without saying anything, Eros brushed past his parents and walked inside. He turned to Jason. “Thanks for bringing me home.” He smiled for the first time that night, which was a huge relief to the blond. “I'm going to bed now.”

His parents stared questioningly after their son as he disappeared deeper into the house. The father stood there, stunned, while the mother turned back to Jason and cleared her throat. “Thank you for bringing him home, Jason.” She offered a weak smile. “I'll see if I can get him to explain why he was out in those woods in the morning.”

There was a crash from somewhere in the house and the father went to check. The woman smiled again and Jason waved. “It was no trouble at all.”

He took in a breath as the door was closed. He did wonder what the crash was, but Jason just figured he could ask about that tomorrow as well. It already felt like it was going to be a long day. And he had that test. Jason let out a groan. At least he had gotten a little studying in before everything had happened, but he was barely going to get any sleep. Maybe he could just take a nap when-

Jason froze in his tracks as he was about to pass back under the arch.

Dangling in his face, swaying back and forth, was the cross. He frowned and stepped around it, staring at it curiously. What happened? Maybe Luke or Nico broke it? Nico did not really like Christianity, so maybe?

Jason got back in the car and buckled up. “Everything good?” Luke asked.

“Yeah,” Jason nodded. Nico stared at him curiously. “They didn't even know he was out of his room, or that's how it sounded.”

Nico just stared at the house. “It just feels odd.”

Jason pointed to the dangling cross. “Did either of you do that while I was talking to the parents?”

Both of them shook his head. “Must haven't been paying attention,” Luke admitted.

“Probably too busy staring elsewhere.” Luke smacked Nico in the arm for that comment. Nico grinned and cranked the car. “Just saying.”

Jason looked out his window. He felt chills for some reason while staring at the upside down cross. It was just an object, though. He didn't believe in the significance of a cross being upside down, but it still bothered him. As they drove away, the cross fell to the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what did you guys think? In this story, a nephilim is basically any form of being that cultures have come up with involving death, angels, demons, etc. Psychopomp is a more accurate term for them realistically, but I didn't think that name sounded that ominous. If you want to know why Nico fears them, they are essentially one peg below his gods.
> 
> The next few chapters should be really good. Since the flow has worked out this way, chapter 13 will still be pretty much what it was in the old version. I will tweak a few things that need fixing, and I will add a small scene for the arc I added. And I think New Orleans will still be set for chapter 15. I'm expecting that chapter to be very good. It will explore more into voodoo, for any that find that interesting. You'll meet someone pretty important, so I hope all of you have been paying attention to what Nico might have said about someone lately. I know, not easy, but it's there. 
> 
> So I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you are excited for what is to come.


	13. The Thirteen Devils

“This had better be important,” Nico said as he entered Ms. Mellie's house Monday night. Mellie had gone out to some women's function at her church, which gave the two of them plenty of time to talk. Jason had caught him after class earlier that day and told him that he needed to talk to Nico. Nico had quickly said that it better not be Jason asking him out.

Jason sighed and shut the door. “I'm glad to see you, too.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Would a kiss make you feel better?”

Perking up, Jason nodded. “It couldn't hurt.”

Nico smirked and leaned in towards the older boy. Jason closed his eyes when Nico was mere inches from his face. “Just tell me what it is,” Nico grumbled, flicking Jason's forehead. The blue-eyed boy frowned as Nico walked over and sat down on the couch. Nico rolled his eyes again. “We can kiss afterward, just tell me what is so important. I'm a little overwhelmed right now.”

Rubbing his head, Jason walked over to stand in front of Nico. “I was just going to say that Eros wasn't in class today.”

Nico let out a sigh and checked his phone. “You could have told me that at school.”

“It was just odd,” Jason admitted.

“Maybe his mother took him to the doctor. Maybe he got a cold from being in the water.”

“You don't think that's even a little odd?” Nico just shook his head at that. Jason let out a sigh. “What has you so worked up right now?”

“I feel trapped,” Nico admitted, getting up to pace around the room. Jason sat down in the spot Nico had been in. “I am still worked up with the nephilim, but I can't exactly tell the coven that I summoned one. They would be furious that I did it without their consent, let alone at all. Thankfully, Luke isn't going to say anything.” Nico pinched the bridge of his nose. “And I don't want to bring up what you saw with Medea to the coven, because I'm afraid that they might figure out that you know. And I am trying to figure out if I want to take the nephilim's advice and go to New Orleans.”

“You did promise me we would go back on Percy's birthday.”

Nico glared at the blond. “I was just trying to see if I could actually charm you, since the others couldn't.” He let out a sigh. “But it does seem like the best option. She could help us.”

Jason tilted his head to the side. “Who? The woman the nephilim mentioned? Someone is using you.”

“No,” Nico whispered. “We're not going to talk about that. This isn't the woman the nephilim mentioned. It's... I don't really like her very much. For personal reasons. She is the current voodoo queen of New Orleans.” Nico frowned at Jason. “What exactly have you seen lately, though? The nephilim said you saw this... thing that's been messing around with the town.”

“I don't know,” Jason admitted. “I've.. thought that I've seen someone from time to time. Like at the church the other day, or in the cemetery.” Nico's brow furrowed. “It was some hooded figure. Ran across the grass while Medea was talking to me and then jumped the fence like it was nothing.”

“Shit.” Nico let out a long sigh. “I'm really hoping that Medea isn't involved in this. I will kill my cousin if she's gotten herself tangled in some dark shit.”

“What is her deal anyways?”

Nico shook his head as he sat back down on the couch. “Her mother was conceived at a very dark time for my family. Long story. Best not to get into it. Short version: Medea's mother was conceived through a dark ritual. Her mother wasn't exactly a shining beacon for righteousness. Anyways, darkness just runs through her veins.” Nico clutched his necklace. “Runs through all the veins of people in my family.”

“I don't think you're bad,” Jason smiled. Taking a chance, he leaned over and kissed Nico's cheek. The corner of the boy's lips tilted up briefly. “So, what would she want with your amulet?” Jason shifted slightly away from Nico, who was still gripping the chain of his necklace. “I'm guessing she can't have one?”

Nico quickly shook his head. He frowned down at his amulet. “No, only the Head of House and First in each family is allowed to carry one.” He said something else under his breath, but Jason failed to catch it. Nico shook his head again. “That doesn't make any sense. If she wanted anything out of there, she could have easily asked me or Father.”

Well then, that pretty much answered Jason's curiosity. There was definitely something more than dead bodies in that mausoleum. But now was not the time to press Nico about that, not when there were more important matters at hand. Although, it also appeared like Nico wasn't wanting to clue Jason in on his theories.

Jason let out a sigh. He knew he couldn't expect Nico and the others to tell him everything, but it still stung a little. But, really, what help could he even be to these people? If magic was involved in this, Jason would probably be useless.

At the sound of a zipper, Jason snapped back to reality. He quickly realized that Nico was working his way out of his pants as he made his way to Jason's bedroom. “Wh-what are you doing?” Jason fumbled.

Nico quirked a brow at him. “I mean, if you don't want me to stay over, I can just go back home.”

Shaking his head, Jason cleared his throat and followed after the raven haired boy. “No, of course you can stay here.” He licked his lips as Nico's jeans hit the floor. The boy stepped out of them and stretched, which gave Jason a good view of Nico's underwear as the boy's shirt slid up.

Unable to stop himself, Jason shot forward and eliminated the space between them. Nico nearly fell backwards, but Jason caught him. Nico chuckled into their kiss, but wrapped his arms around Jason's neck, letting the older boy carry him towards the bed.

Jason gently put Nico down on the bed. The boy smiled up at him. “You know,” Nico began, running his fingers through Jason's blond locks, “I'm going to have to stop you if you keep doing this. I might not be able to turn you down whenever you decide to grow the balls to ask me out.”

Jason perked up at that. “Is that your way of saying you want me to ask you out?” Nico just shrugged. “Well, do you want to go out with me?”

“Nope.” Nico playfully stuck out his tongue, wrapping his arms around Jason's neck.

The blue-eyed boy pouted down at the pale boy beneath him. “Why not?”

“Because you'll just move back to California.”

Jason's fingers trailed underneath Nico's shirt. “You could always come with me.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “I have another year after you graduate. Plus, I have to stay here.”

“Forever?”

Nico hummed, running his hands down Jason's chest. The touch sent a fire through Jason's body. “Well, I'm free to go and see the world for a few years, yes. However, I am expected to live here once that time is over.”

Leaning down, Jason pressed his lips to Nico's forehead. “What if I don't want to be away from you?”

Nico's shoulders slumped. He looked up at Jason with a frown. “You shouldn't say things like that, Jason.” His head rolled to the side. “We've only known each other for a few months, you know.”

Jason pressed another kiss to Nico's neck. “But I feel like I've known you for much longer.”

The younger boy hummed again, biting down on his lips. “I know,” he said softly. He grabbed Jason's face and pulled the blue-eyed boy down for another kiss. “I'm finding it harder to stay away from you, and it kind of scares me.”

Jason's fingers slid out until they were intertwined with Nico's thin ones. The boy's skin was cold, yet it practically burned Jason to touch. “I'm not out to hurt you,” Jason whispered. Nico kissed him again. “So, your ex is in New Orleans, right?” Nico gave a nod. “Are you afraid we'll see him?”

“Maybe.”

“What's the deal there anyways?” Jason brushed Nico's hair out of his face, smiling at the other boy. “I wouldn't cheat on you.”

Nico smirked a little and rolled onto his side. Jason took this cue to lay down next to the boy. “Apollo has a bit of Aphrodite's bloodline in him. His mother was Aphrodite's sister, so he's kind of got that siren magic.” Nico smiled at Jason's confused look. “We call them sirens, because of their similarity to the Greek myths about sirens.” He frowned. “Maybe we should call them black widows instead, though.” Nico lightly traced his fingers along Jason's shoulder. “I was not that great of a boyfriend. My mind was elsewhere usually, focused on... someone else.”

“You were interested in someone else?” Jason propped himself up on his elbow. “Percy? Luke?”

Nico slowly shook his head. “No. Luke never even saw me as more than a brother.” He let out a sigh. “I am... was... bound to this boy. Not my choice.” Those dark brown eyes looked away from Jason. “It's a long story.” Nico finally smiled again. “I guess that's a pretty common answer for you lately. You probably hate it.” Jason shook his head. “He... died.”

“I'm sorry,” Jason whispered.

“It's okay.” Nico gave a weak smile. “It's just that... after he died, I still kept seeing him. In my dreams anyways. It's stupid.”

“No.” Jason quickly shook his head. “It's not. I mean, I liked this guy that I never even met. Probably not even real.” He placed an arm around Nico's waist. “I actually haven't thought about him much lately, though. Not with you around. Guess I don't need my fantasies.”

Nico let out a chuckle. “So comforting to know I beat a boy you conjured up in your head.” He let out a sigh. “Anyways, I was just never there for Alabaster. I was still not over my mother's death, this guy died before I could even meet him. Maybe it was for the best, though.”

“What's that?”

Nico sat up suddenly and rubbed his face. “Geeze. I didn't mean to rant.”

Jason frowned. Nico was pulling away from him. What was so sensitive about this? “It's okay. You don't have to talk about it.”

“Thanks,” Nico mumbled. He turned to face Jason. “So, what about you? You had an ex back in California.”

“Two or three.” Jason gave a small smile as he rubbed his thumb on the back of Nico's hand. “I guess I really wasn't that invested either. We never went very far. Just simple kissing. I never... It's hard to explain. It didn't feel right.”

Nico gave a nod. “I know what you mean.”

Reaching up, Jason touched Nico's cheek. “It's strange, though, because I don't feel like that with you.”

“Yeah,” Nico whispered. “That's what kind of scares me. I shouldn't... I shouldn't feel this way.”

“Why not?”

“I'm cursed.”

Jason chuckled. “So? You can't like any other guys?”

“I can't love other guys for sure. I can't be really be happy with anyone else, or I'm not supposed to.” Nico frowned down at the sheets. “I think I'm still connected to this boy because of the death magic my family possesses.”

Jason let out a small hum. “My most recent ex was Lee. We were really good friend, played the same sports growing up. Even joined the baseball team together. We still stayed good friends after the breakup, but I could tell that Lee was a little sad that I couldn't be more than that with him.” The blond sighed. “It was hard to make him understand that this figment of my imagination was actually someone I was truly interested in.”

Nico crawled to the head of the bed and stuck his legs under the cover. “Do you mind if we lay down? We can still talk a little more, if you want, but I'm kind of tired. Still recovering from last night.”

“Sure.” Jason smiled and got up to turn off the lights. He made his way back to the bed and slid in next to Nico. The boy leaned against his side, letting out a long sigh. Jason rested one hand in Nico's hair. Those dark locks were right under his nose, so Jason was able to smell the peppermint. “You smell nice.”

Nico let out a chuckle. “Dork.”

Nico fell silent after that. Jason stared up at the ceiling for a good fifteen minutes. Nico had drifted off in his arms. He could hear the faint breathing. The boy had curled up against him. Nico's legs were fairly cold, but Jason didn't mind. It did worry him a little, after what Nico had told him about slipping between land of the living and the dead. He didn't want to lose Nico, if that was possible. Jason held Nico a little tighter, slowly drifting off into his own sleep.

Tonight, Jason found that his dream decided to take him back to Salem. He knew it was Salem by the way everyone dressed in their Puritan clothing. It also was obvious from the fact that Circe was standing in the room, and Kronos still had his ponytail. Tartarus' father was speaking with Gaea, while Kronos and Circe stood a few steps away. Tartarus, however, stood in the corner. The boy did not look pleased by what was going on, something that Kronos seemed to have picked up on. But the boy was nowhere near as frightening as he had been in Jason's last dream. He seemed more alive, yet sad.

This time was different, however, because he was actually there. Like a ghost. He had not noticed this at first, until he felt something squeeze his hand. He glanced down and found another hand in his own. Looking up, Jason was met with the shadowy face of the ghost boy from his dreams.

“Then we have an agreement?” Tartarus' father asked. Gaea did not seem pleased as she nodded and shook the man's hand. Her eyes flickered over to her son. “Then it is is settled, we shall join our houses through the marriage of my daughter and your son.”

“Tis a happy day indeed,” Gaea replied, though it was obvious she did not agree with what she had just said. She held out her hand towards Kronos and Circe. Kronos hesitated, while Circe eagerly moved forward to give her hand to the woman.

Gaea pricked the girl's finger with a needle. Kronos was looking over at Tartarus when the adults looked over at him. “Kronos,” Tartarus's father snapped. Gaea seemed even more irritated.

Reluctantly, Kronos moved forward and offered his hand out to his mother. She pricked his finger and the two teenagers faced each other. Circe held out her finger and Kronos did the same. Once their fingers were pressed together, their blood began to swirl around their hands until it formed a cuff that encircled both of their wrists. The two intertwined their fingers and the blood dissolved into their skin.

Tartarus' father seemed pleased. He held his head up, while his son glared heatedly at him. “Then it is done. They have their oath.”

Without saying anything, Tartarus stormed out of the house. Gaea shook her head with a sigh. Circe watched her brother leave with concern. Her father, however, didn't seem concerned at all. The man reminded Jason a lot of what Tartarus had seemed like in his last dream.

Kronos released Circe's hand. Bowing to the girl, he said, “I'll go check on him.”

Circe nodded as Kronos jogged out the door. Kronos spotted Tartarus heading towards their family barn. Pursing his lips, Kronos took off after his friend. By the time he got to the barn, the other boy was already pacing fiercely inside.

When he noticed Kronos standing there, Tartarus stopped and leaned against one of the posts that held the barn up. He frowned. “What dost thou want?”

“Please, do not be this way,” Kronos pleaded. His body relaxed as he took a few steps further into the barn. “I did not have a choice.”

“There is always a choice, Kronos.”

The older boy's eyes shined golden in the low lit barn. His lips tilted down with a few more steps towards the other boy. “Your father is still angry, he's the one that suggested it.”

“Your mother should have never said what she did!” Tartarus snapped. Kronos blinked in surprise as the boy wrenched his eyes shut, shaking. “My father cannot even look at me anymore. He gets angry at the very sight of me. She would have had me over him, and wouldn't even consider my sister.”

Kronos frowned. “It does not make my mother's words untrue.” Reaching out, the older boy grabbed Tartarus' wrist. “This is our coven, and my mother simply wishes to build the strongest that will ever live. One that can protect all of us.” Leaning forward, Kronos pressed their foreheads together. “You were better suited than he is.”

Tartarus' shoulders slumped. Kronos pulled back and released his friend's wrist. There was a long silence between the two boys in the barn. Neither looked at the other during this time, though. Reaching up, Kronos rubbed the back of his neck. It was him that spoke first.

“I do not love her,” he whispered.

That caused the di Angelo boy to snort. “Obviously.”

Kronos moved closer and Tartarus blinked up at him curiously. Kronos' pale hand reached out and brushed against the tan boy's cheek. “Because my heart already belongs to another.”

With wide eyes from Tartarus, Kronos leaned in and sealed the distance between them. Tartarus was pressed up against the post, and the boy's tan hand reached back to help support himself as Kronos slid his tongue into the other boy's mouth. With his other hand, Tartarus wrapped an arm around Kronos, while his friend slid a knee between his legs.

The two finally separated to catch their breath. Tartarus grinned wickedly and shook his head. “Can't even go a few minutes without breaking your oath, can you?” Slowly letting out a breath, the tan boy pushed Kronos away. “She's still my sister, though.”

Kronos watched the other boy's lips intently, slowly brushing his hand against Tartarus' cheek. “For you, I would move the universe itself for us to be together.”

Kronos and Tartarus turned to smoke. The barn was torn away and Jason could feel himself being ripped from his dream. The hand of the ghost boy held on tight. It was so warm. Jason slipped through his fingers as the dream began to shift. In a state of panic, Jason reached out and grabbed the ghost boy. The smoke from the ghost boy was tossed away and there stood Nico. His eyes widened, like he actually recognized Jason. But before Jason could question anything, he was torn away.

To a less happy place. He had not dreamed about his parents and their death since he arrived at Aimes, but here he was, at his mother's side. He was not sure where they were, it was nowhere that he had seen before. A light fog rolled around at their feet. They were in a clearing, surrounded by trees. Dead. All the trees were dead. So was the grass. This place felt like death.

His mother was reading a book. Jason's head hurt suddenly. He had seen a similar book like this one before, but he could not place where. But it pulled Jason in, sucking at his very essence. He wrapped his arms around himself. “Mom?”

His mother turned to face him. Jason sharply took in a breath. She looked fine, just like he remembered her. She smiled and caressed Jason's cheek. “Jason,” she said softly.

“Jason!”

The blond's eyes widened as a skeleton hand reached up from the ground and ripped him down. “No!” His mother wailed as Jason was pulled into darkness.

Jason's eyes snapped open, his breathing beyond ragged. Sweat covered his body as he realized it had been Nico calling his name. The boy hovered over him, shaking Jason's shoulders gently. The blue-eyed boy's vision focused onto Nico's angelic face, which was riddled with concern. Jason slid up in bed, the covers falling from his drenched torso. Nico's shoulders relaxed at seeing him awake, but he chose not to say anything as Jason tried to calm down.

“You okay?” Nico whispered after nearly a minute.

Jason nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat. He managed to catch himself before he started scratching this time. Burying his face in his palms, Jason pulled his legs up to his chest. “Just a bad dream.”

Nico gave a nod. “Your parents?” Jason's nerves slowly calmed when Nico reached out and took his hand, giving it a squeeze. “It must have been hard, watching them die.” He leaned against Jason's shoulder. “Do you need to talk about it?”

Letting out a breath, Jason shrugged. “I don't know. Nothing to really talk about.” He looked at the boy next to him, who was still staring at him in concern. “You don't... remember?”

Nico arched a brow at him. “Remember what?”

“You were there. You were there until I saw my mother. You were there with Tartarus and-”

“Must have been a dream.” Nico leaned back against the headboard. He rubbed his fingers together, watching them with a distant look. “We should get ready for school,” Nico whispered. He intertwined their fingers, which drew Jason's attention. Leaning over, Nico pressed their lips together in an innocent kiss.

All too soon, their kisses became longer and deeper. Jason reached up to cup Nico's pale face gently. He rolled on top of the other boy, who eagerly wrapped his arms around Jason's neck. The blue-eyed boy's hand slid under Nico's shirt as his tongue explored the brown-eyed boy's mouth.

A moan escaped Nico's lips as Jason's other hand traveled underneath the leg of his boxer-briefs. Jason ran his fingers in a circle on Nico's hip, enjoying the cool, smooth skin he found there. Their lips broke apart and Jason leaned in to attack Nico's neck. The boy gasped and rolled his head to the side, his fingers curling in Jason's hair. Jason's fingers slid along Nico's inner-thigh. Nico's back arched off the bed as Jason's hand neared his crotch.

Both boys let out a yelp as the bed hit the floor with a loud crack. Nico was stunned, frozen where he lay beneath Jason. The older boy sat up and ran a hand through his hair. He could feel his weight slowly pulling him towards the foot of the bed, where the legs were now apparently broken.

With wide eyes, he turned back to Nico. “Were we levitating?”

“I... guess,” Nico replied, a look of concern in his eyes. He climbed out of bed and looked down at where the legs of the bed were broken.

The door to Jason's room flung open and in came Ms. Mellie with a worried expression. Upon seeing Nico, her eyes widened and she shut the door. “I didn't know you were having company over, Jason! I didn't mean to interrupt anything. It's just that-”

“We weren't doing anything, Ms. Mellie!” Nico called out.

“Not yet,” Jason mumbled. Nico shot him a glare.

The door opened again and Mellie poked her head in. “I should have let you know I was staying over,” Nico continued. The woman came in, her face slightly flushed. Her brow furrowed as she looked down at the bed. “I'll pay for this to be replaced, don't worry.” The boy forced himself to smile. “Jason was just going to get a shower. I'll help you make breakfast, if you want.”

After a moment of being distracted by the broken bed, Mellie smiled and nodded. “That would be lovely. Thank you, dear.”

As the door shut, Nico let out a breath and sat down on the broken bed. After the shock finally wore off, Jason let out a laugh, falling back on the bed. Nico gave him a strange look. Running a hand down his chest, Jason wiped some leftover sweat off. “I must be pretty good, if I got you to lose control of your powers like that.”

Nico was silent. He looked from the bed to Jason for a moment, his brow heavily furrowed. The boy rose back to his feet, chewing on his lip. Jason grew concerned that the boy was going to draw blood. He watched as Nico ran a hand through his hair, sitting back down on the bed and mumbling rapidly under his breath.

Crawling across the bed, Jason reached out for Nico. “What's wrong?”

Nico jumped a little. “It's... nothing. I-” He searched Jason's face for something. “I need to think.” Clearing his throat, the boy stood up. “We'll talk after school.”

Nico walked out of the bedroom, leaving a very confused Jason behind. He blinked and crawled out of bed. Weird way to start a morning, the blond thought. He smiled and stretched his arms over his head. Aside from the weird dreams and the bed breaking, it was kind of good. He very much enjoyed that short makeout session with Nico.

When he entered the bathroom, he found Nico freshening himself up. He smiled. “You could share a shower with me.”

Nico looked at him in the mirror. “I could also let you wake up to a corpse in your bed for the rest of your life, Jason Grace.” The boy smiled at the pale look on Jason's face. He snapped his fingers and his clothes changed. “Get a shower. I'll be making breakfast.”

Jason grunted and shut the door after Nico. He did a quick job of washing his hair and his body. For several minutes after, though, he just stood under the warm water and let it relax his muscles. This was confusing for him. Maybe the Nico in his dream really was just a dream? It was just strange, because it made Jason wonder if he had been dreaming of Nico all this time. His feelings had not changed when he noticed it was Nico.

It felt right. It clicked. But that was crazy. There was no way he had dreamed about a real person all these years. That was just not possible. Then again, who was he to say what was and was not possible?

After he got out of the shower and dressed, Jason made his way down the hall to the kitchen. He slowed down when he heard Nico and Mellie talking.

“You knew,” Nico said in a hushed voice.

“I made a promise,” Mellie replied.

“He has to know. It's dangerous if he doesn't.”

“I know.” Jason looked around the corner to see Mellie place a hand on Nico's slumped shoulder. “I'm sorry.” The boy looked like he might cry. He looked so devastated. Jason just wanted to walk over and hug him. “It'll be okay.”

“No. It won't.” Nico seemed so distracted as he flipped a piece of sausage. “I thought...” Nico shook his head. “I think I knew, deep down. I just didn't want to admit it. It explains a lot, actually.” He sat down the spatula he was holding. “You know what this means, right?”

“Yes,” was Mellie's simple reply. “It'll all be ready for picking up when all of you decide.”

Jason frowned. This sounded serious. And Nico needed to talk to him? So he did know what was going on! Maybe that had been Nico in his dream after all. Why did he seem so upset, though? The blond cleared his throat and took a seat at the counter, startling the other two in the kitchen. “Everything okay?”

Nico gave him a smile, but Jason knew it was a forced one. “Of course.” The boy slid a plate of bacon and sausage across the counter top before taking a piece of bacon for himself. “Hurry and eat so we won't be late for school.”

Mellie was already putting her food in a container. “Speaking of, I need to get going.” She ruffled Jason's hair as she walked by to go to the door. “Have fun at school.”

As the door closed, Jason's eyes flickered back to Nico's face. The boy refused to look at him. “You sure everything is okay?” Jason decided to ask again.

“Yep.” Nico skewered some sausage with a fork and stuffed his mouth. Probably trying to avoid actually talking.

Letting out a long breath through his nose, Jason decided it would be best to just finish his food. They sat in silence after that, Nico not even looking in Jason's direction. It was so frustrating. He just wanted to know if he was right about the dream, and what it could possibly mean for him. The blond pursed his lips as he studied the other boy. It was too obvious that Nico knew more than he let on. And why was he talking about it with Mellie?

Jason nearly dropped his fork.

His mouth hung open a little, which finally caught Nico's attention. “Jason?”

The blond recovered and wiped his mouth. “Nothing. Sorry. Zoned out a little.” He frowned the second Nico stopped looking at him.

Mellie knew. She knew about the coven. She knew about magic. She was the other person that knew about them! Why hadn't she told Jason? He could feel his blood boiling. She didn't tell him, and neither did Nico. Nobody told him. He could have had someone to talk to this whole time, someone to vent his shock over the fact that magic actually did exist. Yet they kept it from him. He wanted to know why.

“Nico-”

“We should get going.” Nico picked up their plates and put them in the sink. With the snap of his fingers, the boy had his backpack in his hand. “Ready?”

Jason forced himself to keep his frustration to himself as he nodded and went to get his stuff for school. Nico drove, thankfully. It gave Jason more time to think. He needed a lot of time. What else did Nico know? What else had been kept from him? Sure there were plenty of things that Jason probably had no business knowing, but the fact that he lived with someone else that knew about the coven was kind of important.

The two got a few raised eyebrows when they walked into school together, including from the coven group. Luke, however, seemed to be attempting to contain his excitement. Annabeth shot Luke an annoyed look as she read a very thick book next to him.

“Are you two finally together?” Luke asked in such a rush that Jason was barely able to process it.

Nico rolled his eyes. “I have not had any coffee today.”

“Oh.” Luke slowly slid down in his chair, which made Annabeth and Reyna cackle. “Shut up,” the blond grumbled at the two girls.

Reyna shook her head. “He has you whipped, and you're not even dating him!” She laughed.

When the bell rang, Nico pulled Percy off to the side. Percy kept looking over at Jason, and whatever Nico was telling him seemed to be very serious. From the way Percy looked at Jason, the blue-eyed boy thought they might have discovered he had the plague. Whatever it was, Percy shook his head and Nico shrugged in response.

They eventually separated and Nico headed in Jason's direction. He quirked a brow at the older boy. “Shouldn't you get to class?”

Jason smiled brightly. “I thought I'd walk you to class.” His smile only widened when Nico rolled his eyes. “So, what was that about?”

“Nothing.” Nico shook his head. “It's nothing. I'll tell you after school.” He took in a deep breath. “Just... enjoy today, okay?”

That did not make much sense, but Jason decided to let it go for now. Nico was going to tell him after school, so that was something. At least he wasn't going to keep lying. Hopefully. Maybe he would tell Jason about Mellie knowing. Maybe he could explain to Jason why he's been in his dreams for years now.

As they made their way into the other building from the cafeteria, there was a lot of murmuring in the student body. “What's going on?” Luke asked, standing on his tiptoes to try and see.

“Jason, are you really still trying to spend time with these people?” Came Khione's annoying voice from nearby. Luke and Jason turned to face her, while Nico did his best to ignore her. “It's a little sad. Charity cases are sad.”

Kinzie stood at her side, looking rather sad. She pushed some of her hair behind her ear. “I hope you know what you're doing, Jason.” She shook her head. “Just remember that we did try to warn you.”

“Everything is fine, really,” Jason chuckled. With a grin, he threw an arm around Nico. “In fact, it's going so well that he agreed to let me take him on a date.”

Nico shot Luke an irritated look when the blond looked like he was about to open his mouth. Luke looked like he was so happy. He gave Jason a thumbs up. Nico just smacked his forehead. “Things are always subject to change.”

Khione scoffed, flipping her hair over her should. “It's really sad how-”

All of a sudden the girl stopped talking, her mouth agape. The slow moving crowd of students began to part. Kinzie's eyes widened. “Oh dear heavenly lord,” she murmured under her breath. “Is that...?”

Jason looked to see what they were talking about. Nico's eyes were wide as well. Luke's mouth hung open. What was going on? Jason frowned as he directed his attention to where the crowd was parting. Heads were turning left and right as a familiar head of curly brown hair made its way towards them.

It was Eros. At least Jason thought it was Eros. It sure looked like Eros. Dressed in a loose and slightly tattered shirt that had some old band logo on the front. His jeans were so tight that they hugged his legs like a second skin. He smirked as he walked through the crowd, blowing a bubble from some gum in his mouth.

“Jason!” The brunet exclaimed as he reached the small group. He gave the blond a brief hug. “Thanks again for the other night. Long story, really, but it's all good.” His lips tilted up in a smirk as he twirled a strand of hair. He blinked those vivid green eyes and turned his attention to his gaping friends. “What's your problem?” He asked innocently.

“You're dressed...” Kinzie began.

“Like a whore.” Khione stared at him in detest. “Does your parents know that you left the house like that?”

“You know... I didn't really ask.” Eros stretched his arms over his head, exposing just a hint of his stomach. The boy actually had a decent body. Kinzie fanned herself a little. Nico had to reach over and shut Luke's mouth. “But, you know, I don't really care. I get to be out of this place in May, and I'd like to see either of them try to stop me.” He chuckled and patted Khione on the shoulder. “Seriously, though, I'm not worried. Nearly drowning kind of does that to you. Makes you realize what really matters in life.”

“You nearly drowned?” Kinzie exclaimed.

“I said it doesn't matter.” Eros rolled his eyes. “So my parents can just go fuck themselves.”

Everyone looked totally shocked. Had he even heard Eros cuss before? “Guess your father needs to have another talk with you,” Khione said, recovering from her shock. “He seemed rather mad when I told him that you were socializing with the lot of these evil people.”

“So you told him.” Eros' smile melted away. Out of nowhere, he spat his gum and it went down the front of Khione's shirt. The girl shrieked. “Why don't you just go fuck yourself? No, really, you should get laid. Because then you wouldn't be a total bitch. I'm sure Dylan would help you out.” The boy's eyes widened in amusement as he touched Khione's arm. “Oh! That's right, you already are.” Kinzie's mouth dropped as she stared at Khione in shock. “Oops. Guess I know some things about you as well.”

Khione was furious. Her face was redder than Jason had ever seen it. She held up a shaky hand and pointed it in anger at Eros. “You-”

“Oh!” Eros smirked. “Since you want to go running to taddle to my father on me, why don't I give you something really good to tell him?”

“What?”

Eros reached over and gripped Luke by the front of the shirt, pulling the blond down and crashing their lips together. Luke's eyes went wide, but he certainly didn't pull away. Khione and Kinzie's mouth dropped, as did Nico and Jason's.

After a good thirty seconds, Eros pulled back. “Been wanting to do that for a while.”

Without saying anything, Khione huffed and stomped off, Kinzie at her heels. Luke's mouth fumbled a few times. “You know, if you ever wanted to work her up like that again, I wouldn't object.”

Eros smiled brightly and patted Luke on the chest. “Sorry about that.”

“No, it was fine. My pleasure,” Luke grinned. Nico rolled his eyes.

Eros let out a breath and finally turned to Jason. “That felt good. Really good. I've kind of wanted to say something like that to her for a while.” He cleared his throat and slipped his hands into his back pockets. Nico had to smack Luke to stop the blond from leaning back to get a look of Eros' backside. “And sorry about worrying all of you the other night. I guess you're kind of wondering why I was out there.”

“Kind of.” Jason's brow furrowed. “You're okay, though?” He chuckled as Eros smiled. “That was awesome, though. Am a little worried.”

Eros waved him off. “Just like I said. I just realized I was way too passive, letting people walk over me.” He shrugged with a sigh. “Had a very long talk with my father. I think he understands me now, and that he can't treat me like he was.” The brunet just looked so carefree. “I also don't think he's going to be touching alcohol again for a while. I think I got through to him that it was tearing his family apart.”

“That's... very understanding of him,” Nico said. His brow was furrowed as he watched the brunet.

“Yep,” Eros replied. The bell rang again. “Darn. Um, I guess we better head to class. Don't want to be late, right?”

There was the Eros that Jason knew. Maybe he was fine. “Yeah, we probably should.

Eros gave them all a wave before he headed into the building. “This is the best day ever,” Luke whispered. Nico smacked him on the arm. The older blond took in a deep breath. “Well, I'm going to let you two love birds get to class.” Nico opened his mouth to protest. “Now now, no need to be modest. It's okay that you finally found someone that makes you happy, buddy.”

“I will kill him,” Nico hissed as Luke dashed off to his locker.

Nico stopped at his locker to drop off and pick up some books before class. He said that Jason didn't actually have to walk him the entire way to his classroom, but Jason insisted. And Jason was glad that he did.

On the way, they ended up bumping into Dylan and a few other guys from the football team. “Shouldn't you be hiding from the sun somewhere?” Dylan said with an irritating grin.

Nico rolled his eyes. “That's vampires, idiot.”

“You're pale like one,” one of the other football kids added.

Another grinned. “Yeah, maybe we should put a cross to your forehead to find out.”

Jason wanted to argue, but Nico grabbed his arm and walked by the idiots. “Yeah, like you probably did to Connor.”

“Kid deserved it,” Dylan sneered. He turned around with a glare at seeing Nico just walk by him. “Like that bitch mother of yours deserved it.”

Nico stopped dead in his tracks. His hand dropped from Jason's arm, his head slowly turning to glare at the jock behind them. “You are an idiot!” The boy snarled. “If I'm so evil, if I'm the devil, you're an idiot for making that comment. If I were evil, you'd be dead!”

Before Jason could act, Dylan shoved Nico up against the lockers. “Well, looks like Satan has forsaken you then.” He smirked as his friends laughed. Looking around, he took a step closer to Nico. “And your friends aren't here to help you out.” His eyes flickered up to Jason. “Unless... you're going to come to his rescue, Grace. Khione already wrote you off as a lost cause, so I wouldn't advise it if you want to salvage your reputation.”

Jason balled up his fists and took a step forward. “Jason, don't!” Nico said, pushing himself up.

Dylan raised his foot and kicked Nico in the side, sending the small boy back to the floor. A deep anger boiled inside Jason as he glared at the jock in front of him. If that kid didn't move his foot from Nico's side, he was going to break the guy's leg. He didn't care if Dylan did have his friends with him.

Nico winced as he held his side. Dylan crouched down in front of Nico. “What's wrong? Does the little baby want his mommie?” Another smirk appeared on the guy's lips.

Shut up. Jason clenched his fists. He wanted the guy to shut up and stop speaking. Dylan's voice was becoming irritating to listen to, and he wanted to get the asshole as far away from Nico as possible. But the guy kept going.

“Well, she's dead.” Dylan stood up and laughed, shoving Nico back down with his foot. “Dead. Dead and burned like the witch that she was.”

Shut up!

Dylan began to cough, which slowly turned into choking. His face turned red and then nearly purple. His friends gathered around him, while other kids in the hall slowly gathered around as well. The jock clutched his throat, still in a coughing fit. It slowly became gagging and the crowd fell silent. With one, heavy dry heave, Dylan bent over and coughed a few times.

Blood dripped from his mouth. Slow at first, and then pouring out like vomit. Sickening choking noises escaped the guy's mouth as he slowly reached up and put two fingers in his mouth. What he pulled out caused everyone to still with dread.

A rusty nail. A single, bloody nail sat in Dylan's hand. The boy stared at it for a brief moment before falling over and passing out. The kids in the hall started to scream, and soon teachers showed up. The next thing Jason knew, a hand was around his wrist and they were bolting towards exit.

It took him a moment, but he finally realized that it was Nico that had grabbed him. The boy fumbled with his keys as they neared his black car. He hissed at Jason to get in, which Jason didn't question. Shock was still coursing through his system. What had just happened?

He looked over at Nico as the other boy shot out of the parking spot and went flying out of the school's parking lot. Finally, Jason found his voice. “What was that?” He said a little louder than intended.

Nico remained silent.

“He could have died!” Jason found himself shouting. He ran a hand through his hair as he slid down in his seat. “That was... insane! A nail!” Taking a slow, deep breath, Jason looked over at the other boy. “I thought you guys didn't use your powers in public like that?”

“We don't,” Nico replied in a voice too eerie for Jason's liking. It was then that Jason noted just how tightly Nico was gripping the steering wheel. Jason didn't understand. What was happening? Nico slowly exhaled. “Jason, I need to ask you something, and I need you to be honest.”

“O-okay?”

Nico briefly looked over at him as they sailed down the road. An ambulance flew by them, probably on its way to the school. “Do you have any idea how you survived that shooting when you were younger?”

Jason hastily shook his head. “None. I-I just thought I had a good doctor.”

Nico chewed on his lip. “You said your father's name was Jupiter.” He looked at Jason from the corner of his eye. “Are you sure that was really his name?” Jason just stared at him in confusion. “Was your mother a blonde woman?”

“Yeah. How did you know?” Jason blinked. They were exiting the town now, on a straight course for the covens' houses. Why were they going there? “Nobody ever told me my dad changed his name. I didn't... My aunt never told me anything like that either.”

“The aunt that isn't really your aunt, and who Ms. Mellie has known for years,” Nico mumbled. He briefly closed his eyes with a sigh, which freaked Jason out a little bit, considering they were going well over the speed limit on an old, curvy road. “Jason?” The blue-eyed boy looked over at him. “Was your mother named Beryl?”

Jason's eyebrows shot up. “You knew my mother?”

“No,” Nico whispered, “but I knew who she was.” Nico cursed under his breath, stopping the car for a moment. “Fuck, Jason! Why couldn't you have told us her name? That's all we would have needed” His head made contact with the top of the steering wheel with a groan. Jason gulped as Nico hit the steering wheel. “My father was right! But we thought it was impossible. I can't believe your mother didn't bother changing her name. Typical. She probably thought we'd be looking for your father, not her.”

Jason blinked. It seemed like Nico was talking more to himself, rather than Jason. “I'm sorry,” the blue-eyed boy whispered. His heart was racing, though. This meant that his search was finally over. “I just thought that, since no one recognized my last name, their first names wouldn't make a difference. And no one asked for my mother's name.”

Nico snorted. “That's going to be fun to explain to you. I can already imagine how Hera is going to react. She already hates your sister.”

“I have a sister?”

“Thalia,” Nico mumbled. “She was adopted, remember?” Jason's blood ran cold. Did this mean what he thought it meant? Nico shook his head with a sigh. “I do know who your family is. My dad thought he recognized you because he grew up with your father.” Nico's mouth fumbled as he just sat there, looking over at Jason. “I thought you died. I felt you die. She didn't-” Nico's eyes widened. “Oh! Your aunt.” He nodded his head. “That makes sense. I can't believe Mellie kept the fact that she was friends with _the_ Lupa. The coven will want to have a talk with her.”

Jason frowned. “When were you going to tell me she even knew? I heard you two in the kitchen this morning.”

Nico's lips tilted down. “Annabeth suggested that we test your ability to keep secrets. Mellie was going to tell us if you said anything to her. Although, given what I know now, I would have to wonder if she would.” Nico let out a sigh. “She made a promise to your aunt not to tell you, though. I'm guessing your aunt made a similar promise to your parents.”

“What?” Jason asked. This was just a lot to take in. Could Nico just confirm what he was thinking was going on?

Nico hit the gas again and the car shot forward. “Now I understand about all of this. You, how you survived the shooting, our connection.” His lips tilted down again. “Well, I don't know exactly how you survived. That's still a mystery. I felt you die. I was in your dreams.” Jason opened his mouth, but Nico cut him off. “Yes, I knew it was you after this morning. I don't know, you touching me in the dream did something. Maybe it's because we were together physically. I just can't figure out how you survived.”

Jason frowned. “I'm glad you're figuring this all out, but I kind of appreciate if you would say what I think you're saying. It would help me process all of this better.”

Nico's lips slowly tilted down, like he had just realized something. “Oh,” he whispered. Jason watched as the boy pursed his lips, refusing to look at Jason.

Quirking a brow, Jason looked out the window as they reached the first of the covens' houses. He frowned over at Nico. “Where are we going anyways?”

“I'm taking you home,” Nico confessed.

“Um, this isn't really the way to Mellie's house.”

The car slowed down until it came to a halt in front of the large gate at the end of the road. “Your real home, Jason. To your family.”

Nico extended his hand and the gate slowly swung open. Jason gulped as they drove through and into the thick woods that surrounded the driveway. “I thought you said that this house wasn't being used?” Jason whispered.

Nico didn't answer. Jason frowned out the window. He felt uneasy, like all the yard was alive. Jason was afraid that one of the trees might come alive at any moment and crush them. The driveway felt a little longer than the others, which did not help Jason's nerves at all.

“Can you at least tell me what it is you've figured out?”

Nico gripped the wheel. “We can talk later, but there's someone you need to speak with first.”

Jason's breath hitched as they finally broke through the trees. It was the house from his very first dream. It was a little bigger, and looked slightly different, but Jason still recognized it. He still remembered the door slamming in his face.

It was a little bigger than Nico's house, but not by much. It looked newer, which probably meant it had been renovated since it was first built. Probably several times. Only two cars sat in the driveway, though. But the yard was massive, and the grass was so green! There were plants of all kinds, as well as tiny gardens scattered around the yard in various intervals. Trees of all assortments could be found there, including what looked to be a banana tree. Directly in front of the house was a large fountain, which contained a giant sundial in its very center.

It was perfect, just like in Jason's dream. The vines were still there on the pillars, stretching out across some of the walls and windows. Even the lantern was where it should be beside the large, oak doors. It took Jason a moment to realize that Nico had parked the car.

As they got out, Jason found himself gawking up at the large mansion. “What is this place?”

Nico came up beside him and slipped his hands into his aviator jacket. “This is the first house the coven built when we settled here.” He shrugged. “Well, it's obviously been fixed up since then, but you get the idea.” He offered Jason a small smile. “But it also happens to be your family home.”

Jason found himself slowly nodding. It was a lot to take in. He blinked in surprise. “So,” he grabbed Nico as the boy went to go towards the house, “this does mean what I think it does then?”

“You're a warlock?” Nico quirked a brow and Jason nodded. “It does.” Nico squeezed Jason's shoulder as the blond stumbled a bit. “I've been wondering, but the dream this morning confirmed it. You were also the one making the bed levitate.” He sighed. “But then you sort of nearly killed Dylan, so I thought it best to bring you here now.” He pursed his lips. “I was hoping I was wrong.”

“Why?”

Nico shook his head, looking down at his feet. “We'll talk later.” He nodded towards the house and the two began to slowly walk towards the large, stone steps. “I, um, need to apologize.” He turned his head to look at Jason. “We sort of lied to you.”

Jason tilted his head to the side. “About what?”

“There are thirteen families, not twelve.” He chewed on his lip. “But we thought that your family died off, aside from Thalia and the other two that live here, so the town sort of now believes there are only twelve families.” Nico winced. “I guess we're going to have to change it back.”

“Wait.” Jason grabbed Nico. “The coven altered their memories? The entire town?”

“Only once.” Nico shook his head. “We don't try to go around abusing our power so easily.” He looked down and pulled his arm away. “We just didn't want anyone questioning where your family disappeared to, we thought it better if no one remembered them.”

“That seems harsh.”

“Your grandfather was the one that suggested it,” Nico mumbled.

“Oh.” Jason rubbed the back of his neck. Something was wrong, Nico looked depressed. Wasn't this good news? Jason wasn't a mortal, so part of their differences was now irrelevant. Before Nico could open the door, Jason grabbed his wrist. “What's the matter?”

Nico rubbed his arm, not meeting Jason's gaze. “Now you're just like us. Although, I guess you were all along, now you're just cursed with the rest of us. Misery loves company and all that.” He chewed on his lip. “You're going to be stuck here,” the boy whispered. “I'm sorry for that.”

Jason smiled and brushed his hand against Nico's cheek. “I'll be fine.”

Nico nodded and turned back to the door. Without touching anything, the doors slowly opened as Nico took a step forward. Jason slowly turned around, his head looking everywhere as he followed after the pale boy. Shouldn't they have knocked?

Jason's ears were instantly greeted by the sound of a soft piano melody. Nico smiled upon hearing it, his head tilting up above them, where Jason could see the second floor. There were suits of armor up there, along with very large paintings of people that looked like they could be royalty.

The house was so... beautiful. That was the only way to describe it. Everything seemed to shine. There was a long, red rug that ran through the foyer of the house, which was where they currently stood. Nico just stood back and let Jason look around.

It was very bright in the room, but it was not because of the large chandeliers that hung above their heads. Towards the back of the house were large glass windows that let the sun's rays fill the house. Jason lost his breath when he looked up at the ceiling. It was a reflection of the sky. He chuckled to himself as he saw that some of the clouds were moving.

“It actually changes,” Nico whispered in his ear. He smirked up at the ceiling. Sure enough, the sky in the ceiling turned gray and it appeared to rain, though the droplets vanished halfway down before they could hit the ground. Nico chuckled and the sky returned to its sunny quality.

Looking around some more, it did not take Jason long before he found a large painting that caught his attention. A chill ran down his back. It was a painting of Kronos and Tartarus. It had to be back from Salem due to Kronos' ponytail and Tartarus' tan skin. They both looked so happy. Nico rested his chin on Jason's shoulder as the two stared at the two boys in the painting.

“You have his nose.”

Jason furrowed his brow as he turned to face Nico. “Who?”

But then he spotted a picture over Nico's shoulder. Nico blinked and stepped aside as Jason walked over to a small table and picked it up. It was his father, a little younger than he was. Jason's father had never really appeared that old, which now made some sense as to why that was. Perhaps it was just something in their genetics that made people with magic appear young. Jason chewed on his lip as he stared down at the picture of his father.

The music stopped playing, but Jason did not really acknowledge this fact. He sat the picture down and looked up to be greeted by a portrait of Kronos and Gaea. It was strange, though, because Kronos was dressed in something that could have passed from the 1920s. He opened his mouth to question Nico about it, but another voice came into the room.

“And who have you brought into my home, Nico?”

Jason froze. He knew that voice. It was a very, very familiar male voice. There was no way he wouldn't be able to recognize it, not after having dreamed about it all those times after coming here. Slowly, Jason swallowed a lump in his throat and turned around.

There, at the foot of the stairs, was Kronos himself. The very boy from his dreams.

And he did mean boy. The guy didn't look much older than Jason. His hair had been cut, no longer long enough to be in a ponytail. It now was short and parted off to the side. There was no hint of brown in his eyes anymore. Gold irises stared back at Jason intently. Even the guy's clothes looked new. He wore black dress pants and a gray button up shirt. His skin was still the pale color that Jason remembered it being, though.

But the last time Jason had seen Kronos, Tartarus had dragged him into the shadows. And that had to have been well over two hundred years ago. Right? So how was the guy from his dreams standing there, looking just as alive as the first time Jason had ever seen him?

Kronos' brow furrowed. He tilted his head to the side as he looked Jason over. “Zeus?”

Was that his father's real name? Jason wanted to tell Kronos that he wasn't his father, but Nico beat him to it.

He stepped in between Kronos and Jason, motioning to the blue-eyed boy. Kronos was still staring at him like he had seen a ghost. Jason could relate. “This is Jason.” Nico's eyes flickered up to meet Jason's. “Your grandson.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, all of that is out there now. This was the biggest reason Jason hadn't witnessed anything really dark yet either. He needed to find out about magic, then he needed to find out he was a warlock. It also took Jason thirteen chapters to realize that he dreams were not centered around Tartarus, but Kronos. And that is because Kronos is his grandfather. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. It went through a lot of reworking and additions. But I am curious as to who can identify a big problem that should now be glaring everyone in the face, knowing this new piece of information?
> 
> Also, this chapter did take a little longer than planned to get out. I got a little down over the fact that I had only been getting maybe two or three reviews on each chapter on both sites I post on. So usually like 5 or 6 total. And those were long chapters. It bothered me a lot because so many of you were so vocal about seeing the fic reborn, regardless of the ship it was. But then reviews slowly began to go down. Which I didn't consider an issue, until it got so low as to only getting like 2 on each site I use. That kind of makes me feel like I'm wasting my time with how fast I put chapters out. So I procrastinated.
> 
> The reason I'm saying this also ties into something I do want to announce. And that is that I am going to work on seeing House of the Wicked published as a book in the future. A series. This one fic, House of the Wicked, would have to be split into two books just on its own. But I called it a series. That's because I already have a sequel lined up, one that I created shortly after starting the changes to this new version. The main reason I want to see it published as a book is so that the old readers, the ones that didn't want to see the pairing change, can still get their story without having to compromise for a ship they don't like. This way it's entirely original characters filling the parts, who no pre-existing ships. But I question how well the book would do if reviews, or even a view count, has lowered. I would need to know the book would sell, so a sequel could see the light of day. The sequel would expand even this part of the story ten times over, and I would to see it see the light of day, but I need to know it would be supported enough to do well. Which means I would like to hear your honest opinions on how the plot is going.
> 
> It's also because I don't get paid to do this. No fanfic author does. Reviews are our form of payment. They can even be generic "I loved it" ones. And I hate having to even write all this, because I feel no author should really have to beg for reviews if people are enjoying the story. And I am assuming that most of you are. I think it also has to do with the fact that a lot of you just assume other people are reviewing, so you don't. It becomes a problem when that notion slowly grows until there are barely any reviews at all.
> 
> But that's enough about that. I do have another announcement. I'm not sure when I'll officially say what it is, but you should keep an eye out. If you don't follow me on tumblr, you should, as I will probably announce it on there first. I know it will make a lot of people happy. Keep an eye on my tumblr for posts that I make that will work as clues.
> 
> My tumblr: http://xsonofhadesx.tumblr.com/


	14. Death Rides a Pale Horse, and It Rides Through Aimes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with another installment. I definitely want to thank all of you for the reviews, they were all very nice. Made me feel a lot better about all of this. This is another long chapter, so I hope you enjoy.

There had been a million different ways that Jason pictured how meeting his family would go, but staring at his grandfather, who looked to be the same age as him, was not one of them. And that wasn't even counting the fact that his grandfather had been alive during the Salem Witch Trials, which had been over three hundred years ago. Kronos looked like Jason's slightly older brother, rather than his actual grandparent.

And, so, like Jason's normal eloquent self, he blurted out, “Are you a vampire or zombie?”

Nico snorted and shook his head. “Don't be silly, Jason, vampires don't exist.” He tilted his head to the side when Jason visually relaxed. “They died out years ago.”

Jason felt sick. He knew that magic existed now, which was fine, but to find out other things like vampires had once existed left a bitter taste in his mouth. Kronos arched a brow. “Werewolves still exist, though. Has he met Piper's father yet?”

Nico smiled at Jason's pale face. “They haven't been officially introduced, but he also didn't know about that just yet.” The brown-eyed boy patted Jason on the shoulder. “Think more Native American lore, like a shapeshifter. Frank is technically one as well, though his is a bit different. Mainly due to his mixed heritages on both sides of his family.”

Taking in a slow breath, Jason nodded. None of this answered how Kronos was still alive, though. He frowned down at Nico. “I thought nobody around here knew my last name?”

Nico glanced over at Kronos before he returned his gaze to Jason. “Because it's not the same.” The boy let out a breath. “Your name has changed a lot over the past few hundred years. As of right now, they go by Johansson.”

“What, like the actress?” Jason asked.

Kronos looked confused, slipping his hands into his pockets. “Who?”

Nico waved him off. “It's not important.” He sighed and turned back to Jason. “They don't keep track of movies and things after your parents left,” the boy whispered to the blue-eyed boy beside him. Jason gave a nod. Nico rubbed his neck. “What do you think about that, Kronos? Change the name again?”

Kronos regarded both of them for a moment. “More than likely. Names mean little to us, you know that.”

Nico smirked. “I'm sure that will give the town a headache when they get their memories of Zeus and Beryl back.” Nico flinched and looked at Jason. “Er... I guess I should say Jupiter and Beryl?” Kronos frowned down at the boy. “Long story.”

“Wait, so my parents aren't that old?” Jason asked. The blond chuckled at the odd look he got from Kronos. “No offense, but I'm still confused on the age thing.”

Kronos eyed him funny for a moment. Taking a step closer, he lifted Jason's chin. Jason gulped at the frown at that formed on his grandfather's lips. “You have your father's eyes.” He let out a sigh. “Mother is going to be furious when she finds out that we were lied to.”

Jason blinked. “Mother? Your mother is still alive?”

Kronos shot Nico a confused look. The pale boy chuckled awkwardly. “So, um, he's sort of been dreaming about you and my grandfather.”

“Wait,” Jason interrupted. “Tartarus was your grandfather?” He flailed his arms. “How old do you people live for?”

Kronos shrugged casually. “Typically, our kind live for anywhere between two-to-four hundred years.” Slipping his hands into his pockets again, Kronos paced Jason's form. “Although, that really isn't the case for our family. Don't ask for the details, because Mother has yet to actually fill me on what happened.” He let out a sigh. “Our whole family line and magic is complicated. Mother has her own magic, I studied my father's magic after he died. However, the official magic of our house is neither of those.” His eyes narrowed as he inspected Jason's face again. “Since your father is gone, and neither Mother or I actually primarily use our actual house magic, I will let you head that field. If you are anything like your father, it will be a breeze for you.” Kronos chuckled and nudged Nico. “See, I can still be funny.”

Nico sighed and shook his head. “Your family masters weather magic. Rain, lightning, wind, tornadoes, etc.” Nico flashed Jason a brief smile. “It makes sense now that you shocked me when we...” Nico glanced at Kronos. “Uh... never mind.”

Kronos let out a breath. “I am aware of your curse, so I can safely assume what happened to make him shock you.”

“Just a kiss,” Jason said, blushing a little.

Kronos chuckled. “As you will have ample time on your hands in the many days to come, you will be free to explore the other forms of magic Mother and I have begun to master.” A faint smirk spread across the young man's pale lips. “I suppose you learn a few new things after a few hundred years of being alive.”

Jason blinked. “Like what?”

The smirk grew and Kronos snapped his fingers. For a second, Jason just blinked and finally shrugged. Nothing had changed. He went to open his mouth, but found it took him nearly thirty seconds to get it even partially open. His eyes widened as he turned to Nico, who was completely frozen in time behind him. Even the hands of the clock and the chime beneath the grandfather clock were frozen. Kronos was the exception, moving freely around the room. Snapping his fingers again, everything returned to normal.

“You didn't do-” Jason stopped himself. He had intended to say that before he had realized what had happened. The blue-eyed boy did his best impression of a goldfish as he stared at his grandfather. “Okay, that was pretty cool.” He grinned. “Can I learn that.”

“Perhaps,” Kronos sighed. He tilted his head to the side. “You have a lot of catching up to do.” He rubbed his temple. “The coven has always run on the leadership of three families, ours being one of them. The other two are the Jacksons and the di Angelos. Due to the obvious complications, you are now behind in your studies.”

“That's an understatement,” Nico muttered.

Kronos shot him a dark look. “For now, you'll just learn what is intended of you.” He blew out a breath. “Time was my father's magic, but his family has died out, so it is now mine. We'll have to see how I feel after you get the hang of controlling the weather.”

“But how does any of that make me immortal?” Jason asked.

“As I said,” Kronos' brow furrowed, “I have never been told that. Mother refuses to talk about it. I've spent quite a few years trying to find an answer to that very question in our endless supply of books. Yet I have come up with nothing.”

Jason scrunched his lips. He had hoped for answers. For every question that he had. And it was great that Jason was finding out so much, but now there was yet another mystery that he was left without an answer to. And Kronos had been alive all this time, close to his own mother, yet she had not told him the answer.

“Why doesn't she tell you?” Jason finally asked.

“Gaea likes to keep her secrets.” Nico got a dark look from Kronos for that comment. “It's true. She was here long before any of us. Nobody really knows how old she actually is, but we know she's pretty ancient.”

Kronos held up a finger. “While we are on the subject of our family and its magic, I would like to make it clear that you are not to discuss your family magic with other houses.” Kronos shot Nico a quick glance. “Nico is already aware of the rule, but he has a habit of trying to pry. Like his father and grandfather before him.”

Nico smirked up at him. Jason pouted at the brown-eyed boy.“He's not being rude, it's the rules. I can learn the basics, like you'll be doing with everyone else, but family magic is off-limits to anyone not of your house.”

“Wait, what was that about learning other magic?” Jason asked. He let out a quiet groan. “How much am I expected to learn?”

Kronos smirked at him. “A lot. But he is right, you'll be put into special sessions with each Head of House to learn the basics of each individual house's magic.” He nodded his head towards Nico. “For example, everyone in the coven can see ghosts because of Nico's family.”

“They can?” The blue-eyed boy blinked at his crush. “So, why haven't I seen any? I mean, aside from that spirit?”

“Spirit?”

Nico waved Kronos off again. “Long story. It was dealt with, don't worry.” He let out a sigh and turned back to Jason. “You haven't learned to see beyond the veil yet.” He bit down on his lip. “It's why you didn't see the ghost standing between me and Luke on the day we went to the river.”

The color drained from Jason's face. “There was a ghost hanging around that day?”

Nico gave a nod. “He was there to tell me that we had to get home.” The boy gave Jason a small smile. “I'm sure you thought Luke and I were arguing.”

“Yeah,” Jason sighed. He sat down in a chair opposite Nico. “This is... a lot to take in.” He ran a hand through his hair. Even that was an understatement. All of this was completely overwhelming. But, at the very least, at least he now had his family, and he was even part of the coven, just like he had wished for. Letting his head fall against the wall, Jason closed his eyes. “So, I'm immortal then?”

“You are,” Kronos replied. “It'll probably be another year or two, but you should stop aging soon.” Jason opened his eyes to find his grandfather leaning over the railing of the stairs above him. “But you asked about your parents a few moments ago. The town did know them, but didn't grow up with either of your parents. Zeus was a little over two hundred when he left home.”

Jason let out a long breath. Gripping the chair, he glanced over at Nico. “But you're not immortal?” He asked. Nico shook his head. “Are you really sixteen?”

A small smile crept onto Nico's face. “Yes, I'm really sixteen years old. And I'll probably look to be in my late twenties when I kick the bucket in several hundred years. We don't really age, regardless of if we are immortal or not.”

Kronos cleared his throat. When Jason looked up, he caught his grandfather staring at Nico. Jason frowned to himself. “If that is all, perhaps we should go take this news to my mother.”

Nico nodded and shot to his feet. He gave Jason's hand a squeeze and walked towards one of the large, glass windows. Jason watched as the boy stood there with his arms crossed, staring out the window. “Aren't you coming?”

Nico turned to look at Jason. “No.” There was a frown on his face, his forehead. “I feel like I'm overlooking something. I'm forgetting something, but I just can't put my finger on it.” He let out a sigh. “Go on and greet your great-grandmother.”

Jason frowned, but followed his grandfather up the stairs. Once they were at the top, Jason stopped. Kronos turned to raise a brow at him. Jason frowned down at Nico. “Does your mother not like Nico, or something?”

Kronos looked surprised. “No, not at all. She actually loves Percy and Nico, like they were her own. The others too, of course, but Nico and Percy spent a lot of time over here when they were toddlers.” He let out a sigh and stared down at the pale boy with a far off look. “This is just hard on him, I'm sure.” His golden irises flickered back up to Jason. “I always had the suspicion, especially after we found out you were born, that your father took your mother and left here without saying anything, but now here you are anyways.” He quickly pursed his lips and squeezed Jason's shoulder. “Ah, perhaps that came out wrong. But I'm sure you've noticed how drawn to the boy you must be. I can see it in the way you look at him.”

Jason's brow furrowed as he stared down at the boy in question. “Why does it sound like it's supposed to be a bad thing?”

“Perhaps it is not, but all curses come at a price.”

“Curse?” Jason's brow furrowed. “I just found out I have magic, and now I find out that I'm cursed?”

“Twice actually,” Kronos replied, leaning on the railing. His eyes grew dull as he watched Nico move around downstairs. “But the first curse is my fault actually, Nico and his family just got caught up in it.”

“You mean Tartarus?” Jason asked. Kronos's eyes flickered over to him. “I thought he killed you.” A faint chuckle escaped Kronos' mouth. “I mean, the last dream I had was him dragging you into the floor with some shadow magic.”

Kronos chuckled again. “That was quite the phase he went through.” Jason leaned on the railing next to his grandfather. Kronos rubbed at his face. “We did end up speaking to each other again eventually, but not for quite some time.”

“So, you two made up?”

There was a long silence. Kronos kept his gaze glued to Nico, which made Jason slightly uncomfortable. “The fight that you saw in your dream was the very reason your father and Hades were even born, Jason.” He let out a sigh. “By the time we spoke again, Tartarus already got the girl pregnant. And when I found out, I was angry. So, I went to Rhea and asked her to marry me. It's just... We did it in secret and Tartarus didn't find out until we spoke again. I had never seen him so hurt as when I had to tell him that.”

“Is he,” Jason began, “even alive still?”

Kronos softly shook his head. “No, not for a couple of years now.” The young man let out another breath. “I think he knew your father was going to leave, though. Tartarus, like my mother, was very private with a lot of things. Even with me. But I remember that he often talked about Zeus like he wasn't there anymore, months before your parents even left.”

Okay, Jason thought, note to self: when someone around here used the words 'a couple of years' to talk about someone really old, they really did mean it. The aging thing alone hurt Jason's head. He was going to need some aspirin. “Why did my parents leave?”

Kronos finally glanced over at him. “I have no idea. No one does. If Tartarus actually did know, he never said. The last time I saw your father, he looked very frightened, though.” He straightened his posture. “As a forewarning, you will be expected to stand in front of the coven tonight.” He smiled at the sick look on Jason's face. “If it makes you feel any better, I'd be more worried about Nico and the others getting in trouble for keeping the fact that you knew about us a secret. I kind of picked up on that from the way you two were talking.” He smirked. “But don't worry, they won't find out from me.”

“Thanks,” Jason muttered. Maybe his grandfather wasn't so bad. At the very least, he could honestly say that his grandfather was lively and probably entertaining. The weird part was that Jason could actually see himself wanting to hang with his own grandfather. He didn't think most teenagers thought things like that about their grandparents. “How long ago did he die?”

“About two years after your parents left.”

Jason frowned. “Why?” He sighed. “I mean, how did he die?” Not really something most people thought about asking about a guy that was over three hundred years old.

Kronos remained silent, but Jason did manage to catch the pained look that he gave Nico when the boy wasn't looking. It must be hard, Jason thought, having to be around someone that looked like the love of your life.

“So, what happened to him that day that you two fought?” Jason decided to ask.

Kronos let out a sigh and motioned for Jason to follow him. The young man led Jason down the right wing of the house, towards the end of the hall. Jason frowned. The door at the end of the hall was open, and inside he could spot a fire burning in the fireplace.

Finally, Kronos replied. “He did something that not even my mother thought was possible.” His lips tilted down. “You know, Tartarus' father was never intended to be the Head of House for his family. My mother wanted Tartarus to do it. She saw his potential, something his father was very angry about.” The young man came to a stop. “He was a very angry man, jealous of his own son's potential.” Jason frowned. He already knew that. “But what he did came at a price, which you probably saw part of it in the dream. You might have even seen it with Nico.” His eyes glimmered in the low lighting. “It was a price much larger than he originally thought.”

They came to the open door, where Kronos motioned for Jason to stop. The young man poked his head inside and cleared his throat. “What is it, dear?” Came an all too familiar woman's voice. Jason guessed that it should only make sense for Gaea to still be alive if Kronos was.

Kronos let out a breath and stepped into the room, motioning for Jason to follow. The blue-eyed boy swallowed a lump in his throat and stepped in behind his grandfather. It still felt weird to call someone that looked like Kronos his grandfather.

Sitting in a red chair with a book and a martini glass was Gaea herself, still as young as the last time Jason had seen her. Although, she did not look as young as her son, perhaps in her mid-to-late twenties. The color drained from Jason's face as he realized she was also the woman from his first dream, the woman that had attacked those soldiers.

Much to Jason's surprise, Gaea did not seem that surprised to see him. She took one look at him, blinked, and returned to her book. “I thought we were past making mimics of Zeus, Kronos?” She muttered, turning the page. “Although, I am impressed that you decided to change his hair color this time. Even gave him glasses.”

Kronos rolled his eyes and placed his hands on Jason's shoulders, ushering him forward. “This isn't a mimic, this is your great-grandson.” At that, Gaea slammed her book shut and looked back up at the teenage boy before her. “It seems we were lied to.”

“One moment,” Gaea said to Jason before putting her book aside and calmly picking up the phone beside her. It was one of those older phones, where the person had to put there finger on the number they wanted and then turn the dial to the right, repeating the process until the full number was dialed.

Kronos let go of Jason. He walked over to the corner and poured himself a glass of wine. Jason was surprised when his grandfather actually offered him some. While Jason did refuse it, he had to admit that perhaps having a young grandfather wasn't so bad after all.

Gaea smiled at Jason, the phone to her ear. He assumed the person the other line had picked up. “Yes, hello. I know, long time.” Her eyes narrowed at Jason, while Kronos calmly sipped at his wine. “Old friend, would you care to explain to me why...” She trailed off before gripping the arms of her chair, her smile vanishing. When she spoke again, it was yelling. “My great-grandson is standing in front of me! No, don't give me that crap, I specifically remembering that you told us that he died. You have the audacity to not only lie to us, but refuse to let us come get him?” She frowned. “No, I remember you said the boy died from a gunshot to the chest. I explicitly remember this conversation, Lupa.”

Jason's eyes widened. Gaea knew his aunt? His fists clenched as he tuned out Gaea's conversation with his aunt. That meant that his aunt knew that he was a warlock the whole time, didn't it? She kept this from him! She sent him here, knowing who and what he was, and let him do it all by himself. And then there was the matter of his powers. Why were they just now surfacing, when Nico and others said that they are pretty much always there?

And what was that about him having died by gunshot?

A crack appeared in the martini glass that Gaea had. “I don't care what you promised, he needed to be with his family! No, you waited three years before you sent him here, and you didn't even tell us.” The glass shattered in her hand. “I don't care what my grandson wanted! You think he knew better than someone that's been alive as long as me? The boy got into trouble almost every day of his life with Poseidon and Hades.” Her eyes narrowed and her lip curled. “You don't even value oaths as much as we do, so I will not accept that excuse!” Something important must have been said, because Gaea's eyes widened. “You did what?” Her eyes flickered up to Jason and her voice became calm. “Well, I suppose I do owe you for that. Fine, but do not think that this conversation is over, Lupa.”

As Gaea hung up the phone, Kronos took a sip of wine with a smirk. “So, what did she say?”

“It seems Jason here was supposed to have died with his parents,” the woman sighed.

Jason rubbed his chest with a frown. “But I'm alive.”

“Yes, you are.” Gaea rubbed her temple. “Your 'aunt', as you have been calling her, is an old friend of the family. She also happens to be a witch, one that I have known for a very long time.” Gaea let out a sigh and snapped her fingers. The shards of the martini glass slowly rose off of the floor and reassembled in her hand. “Kronos, would you be a dear and make me another?”

“Of course,” Kronos replied with a smile. He took the glass and walked over to where they kept the alcohol.

When Jason looked back, he found that his great-grandmother was staring at him quite intently. “Your aunt said she would call you later tonight and explain things to you.” She let out a breath and reached over for a pen and parchment. Jason watched as she scribbled something down. The ink began to glow red before it vanished entirely.

“What was that?”

Gaea blinked up at him. “I informed the rest of the coven that we will be having an emergency meeting tonight. You will be attending it.” Great, Jason thought. “I'm sure you have questions.” She smiled at her son as he handed her another martini. “Well, ask whatever you want.”

Jason fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. “Um, well, I guess I want to know why my powers are just now showing up? I mean, I've never done anything before, not even made a piece of paper float.”

Gaea rubbed her neck as she sipped slowly at the concoction. “Your magic was bound at birth. Your parents' decision. They apparently wanted to try and have a normal life.” She eyed the drink dully as she swirled it in her hand. “They didn't want you to know.”

He couldn't help it, Jason felt angry. That was not their decision to make, it was his powers. He could have grown up here with a real family, instead of living a lie. Why would his parents do that to him?

It was like Gaea knew exactly what he was thinking. “No sense in getting angry about the past, Jason. What's done is done, and now you know the truth. It just means that you will have to work extra hard with your lessons.” It didn't make Jason feel any better. “They also made Lupa promise not to tell you.” With a long sip, Gaea finished off her martini. “I suppose we also need to move your things into the house.”

Kronos nodded. “Nico is downstairs, I'll have him get the others to take care of it.”

Jason stopped his grandfather before the young man could get out the door. “They're still at school, it's not even lunch yet.”

“Right. School.” Kronos rubbed his chin. He frowned over at his mother. “We're going to have to do the whole 'school' thing again, aren't we?”

Gaea rolled her eyes. “He's seventeen, it's not like we have to drive him anywhere.” She snapped her fingers and stood up. “Which reminds me, if you want a new car, feel free to get yourself one. Or anything else you might want.”

“Money really isn't an issue,” Kronos added.

“Oh.” Jason rubbed his arms. “Thanks. I'll think about it. But my stuff is at a mortal's house. Ms. Mellie.”

“Oh,” both of the immortals replied.

Kronos scrunched his lips. “She knows.” Jason knew that. He just was not sure if they knew that Mellie knew. He really did not want to get Nico in trouble if it had been a secret. “You can spend the day thinking about how you want your room to look and we'll decorate it for you.”

Jason blinked. Anything? He really doubted there were limitations in a magical family. He had seen the other kids' rooms, so perhaps he would go with something like that. Big. His parents had never really been that wealthy—or at least that was what Jason had thought. And then his aunt had been a simple woman, who normally told Jason he only needed necessities. Did they really think he wouldn't ask for a lot of nice things? But, then again, maybe that was normal. From what he had seen, all of the people in the coven lived in luxury.

Placing his hand on Jason's back, Kronos led Jason out of the study. “Why don't you go have lunch with Nico then?” When Jason looked up, he found a distant look in the young man's eyes. “I'm sure there is a lot of things he needs to tell you about. I could, I suppose, but I feel it would be better if it came from him.” Unfortunately, Nico was not where they left him. Kronos frowned. “He's probably still on the grounds somewhere, if you want to look for him.” He waved around them absentmindedly. “Nico already knows this, but feel free to help yourself to anything in the kitchen. It's your home now, so it's your food. Just try to keep in mind that we try to have dinners together as often as possible.”

“Breakfast?”

“Will be served before you go to school during the week, and around ten during the weekends.” The young man grinned. “I'm not very fond of mornings, but mother is usually up at the crack of dawn, if you enjoy waking up early.”

“Not if I can help it,” Jason muttered. 

“Then you and I can eat breakfast or brunch in the parlor.”

“So, are there any restrictions to living here, or being a part of all of this?”

Kronos tilted his head to the side, something that other people pointed out that Jason did a lot. Maybe they were related. “Well, there's the obvious 'don't expose magic to mortals', if that's what you mean.” The corners of the young man's lips tilted up. “Other than that, you get to sit in with the mini-coven, as your friends have taken to calling it.”

“So, am I a First?”

“No,” Kronos replied. He pointed a finger at himself. “I'm First. Mother is Head of the House, so congratulations, you don't have very many responsibilities.” His grandfather clapped him on the back. “Anything else?”

Jason had to arch an eyebrow at the immortally young Kronos. “You're not really what I imagined my grandfather might be like.”

Kronos smirked. “If you prefer, I can always ground you when you don't make good grades. Or, if you're anything like your father, when you get brought home by the police for tying pigs to the backs of cows.” He held up his hand before Jason could even speak. “Don't ask.”

Something caught Jason's attention from the corner of his eye. He glanced down to find Nico pacing around outside one of the large windows. He was one the phone, flailing his arms wildly. “So, um, do I have like a curfew?” Jason asked, turning back to his grandfather.

The young man blinked. “Do you want a curfew?”

Jason smirked and held out his arms. “I love this family already!” Kronos just chuckled and let Jason pull him into a hug. The young man awkwardly patted the blond's back.”

“That's the perk of being eternally young, Jason, you'll always feel young.”

“So, what about having guests over? Are the others allowed to... crash over here?”

Kronos arched a brow at him. “Are you asking me if your boyfriend-”

“We're not dating,” Jason quickly amended.

Kronos rolled his eyes and waved him off. “Soon to be boyfriend then.”

“Is he allowed to sleep over?”

A snort escaped Kronos. “You can always sleep over at his house.”

Jason rubbed his arm, shifting his feet. “Um, yeah, I don't really feel like privacy is a thing in that house.”

“Ghosts?” Kronos asked. Jason nodded. “You get used to it. Tartarus and I used to-”

“Okay! I do not need to hear about my grandfather getting down and dirty with my crush's grandfather.” Jason let out a breath as Kronos smirked. “But is he allowed over?”

Kronos shrugged. “Sure, just, you know, keep it down.” That caused a blush to form on Jason's cheeks. “Nico already knows he's welcome over here whenever he wants. He's usually over here for dinner once or twice a month.”

Jason took a step down the stairs before coming to a stop. “I just... sort of expected more parenting in this situation.”

There was a shrug from Kronos. “I don't know really what you expected from us. We only just now found out you were even still alive, and it's not like we raised you. So we really wouldn't expect you to respect our authority.” He went to turn, but stopped. “Just... you know, behave yourself. While we tend to be laid back, Mother will take disciplinary matters if there's too much trouble. Other than that, you're free to do whatever. I trust that my son was capable of raising you to be somewhat rational.” He pointed a finger at Jason. “And by your father, I really mean your mother. Decent enough woman, when she wasn't drinking.”

“I'm a little confused on that. I have a sister?”

“Yes. Thalia,” Kronos replied. “Your parents left her with Artemis when they left in the middle of the night.” He let out a sigh and patted Jason on the back. “You see, your father was actually married to Hera, but he also was into your mother. Literally, in the case of you and your sister.” Jason groaned at that. “Your sister even chose not to learn our family magic. She does have a knack for creating lightning, though. Either way, I am not sure how Hera will react to you.” Kronos sighed. He waved Jason off, already heading down the left wing of the house. “Enjoy the rest of your day, and try to have some ideas for your room before the coven meets.”

When Jason found Nico, the boy was on a swing on the patio behind the house. The boy smiled when he saw Jason. “So, how did it go?” Nico asked.

Jason rubbed the back of his neck. “Not really what I was expecting. Are they always this relaxed?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

The blue-eyed boy sat down beside Nico. “So, who was on the phone?”

Nico smiled again. “Just Luke. I was informing him of the situation. He wanted to leave and come over, but I told him everything was under control.” The boy sighed and leaned back on the swing, letting Jason move it back and forth with his longer legs. “Don't worry, your family is cool. You'll probably think of Kronos as an older brother, rather than your grandfather.”

There was a nod from Jason. “It is a little weird with how young he looks.” He let out a sigh. “I also found out my aunt is a witch, and that she knew about me this entire time.”

Nico gave a slow nod. “Yeah, she told Gaea about how your parents were doing every now and then, but she said you died with your parents. I felt it, so Gaea called and found out.”

“What happened anyways?”

“Long story,” Nico mumbled. “Before I was born, obviously. I'm sure the others will be up in arms about it later, though.” He tilted his head to the side as he glanced over at the blue-eyed boy beside him. “Well, welcome to the coven, I guess. Perks include magic and a big fat curse. Two, if you count the one between me and you.”

Jason's brow furrowed. “What?”

Nico nodded towards the house. “Kronos and Tartarus, they were cursed. Have you had that dream yet?” Jason gave a slow nod. “Well, Circe did say it would be for eternity. For our parents, it just made them really close friends, and then drove them apart around the time your parents left. Um, our thing is sort of my fault, to be honest.”

Offering a small smile, Jason reached over and squeezed Nico's hand. “I don't think having to be around you is a curse.”

“I am curious about that, actually. We felt each other, miles apart, yet your magic was bound. Yet that curse got through.” Nico tapped his fingers on the swing. “But the other curse didn't work on you. At least I'm assuming it didn't. You wouldn't have had friends. People would have disliked you, much like they have started to do here. There are a few exceptions, of course, but I never heard you say that people actually hated you back in California.”

“They didn't,” Jason confessed.

Nico shook his head. “Strange. Perhaps it's more of your aunt's doing.” He let out a sigh and stared down at his feet. “It's just different for us, because...” Nico pursed his lips. “It just is.” He offered Jason a smile. “You've probably got a lot on your mind right now, no need to add more to it. We can talk about it later.”

Jason frowned. What was Nico avoiding? “What's so bad about feeling drawn to each other?”

Nico's dark eyes glanced over at him briefly. “It's not like that. We are bound to each other, for eternity. And when you are capable of living as long as we can, that's a very long time.”

There was a sad look in Jason's eyes as he pulled his hand back. “You don't want to be near me that long?”

Nico let out a sigh. “I didn't mean it like that.” He smiled and shifted closer to the other boy. “I do want to be around you, Jason, but the curse makes it hard to be away from each other. And, at the same time, works to keep us apart. Look what it did to our parents, they ended up on opposite sides of the country, and that wasn't even with them having any romantic feelings for each other. Our grandparents fought a lot and ended up having kids to spite each other. Kronos got married to spite my grandfather, Jason. But I don't think you know how painful being apart can be, until the person you love is literally right next to you and you can't touch them. That's what they went through.”

“So we just won't let that happen.” Jason stroked the back of Nico's hand with his thumb. “I really like you.”

That brought a smile to Nico's lips. It didn't last, though, as the boy pulled his hand away. “That would be nice, Jason, but you can't fight a curse. Our grandparents tried for years to break it, but they both failed. And nobody has even been able to break the curse over the entire coven either.” The boy let out a sigh. “Something will always keep us apart, Jason. You can't fight it. This is why I don't think we should date.”

Jason frowned. “Then you're just giving the curse what it wants.”

Nico snorted. “You're making it sound like a living thing. It's not.”

“Whatever,” Jason mumbled. “It doesn't change my point.” He shifted on the swing, tucking one of his legs underneath him. “Can you please just explain to me why you've been so against us dating since the beginning. You didn't even know you and I were cursed until this morning.”

“I've known about the curse since I was little, Jason. I felt the curse, even when I thought you were dead. I thought that the reason I was still seeing you was because of the curse wanting to break my heart.” The brown-eyed boy let out a sigh. “If you must know, it was because I originally thought you were mortal.”

Jason just shrugged. “So?”

Nico gave him a dull look. “Jason, what did you just learn about us?” Again, Jason shrugged. “We live for a very long time. I was afraid I would eventually fall for you, and then you would die. A mortal life is like the blink of an eye to us. I would have to live for like four more lifetimes after you died, and I'd do it with a broken heart.” He shook his head. “I was also afraid that you might find out about us and freak out, maybe even call me a freak.”

Jason ducked his head to catch Nico's eyes. “I would never think that about you.”

“It doesn't matter,” Nico mumbled. “You're not a mortal. And now the issue has changed. The roles have reversed, or so it seems.” Jason arched a brow at that. “You're going to live forever, Jason.”

“My dad didn't.”

Nico let out a sigh. “Unless you get killed. You're immortal, not invincible.” His dark gaze flickered up to Jason's eyes. “I'm going to die, Jason. I guess I'm scared that you'll eventually forget about me.”

Jason frowned and pulled Nico to him. “You worry too much. I wouldn't forget about you.”

Nico just laughed and shook his head, staring up at the sky. “It all really does make sense now.” He motioned between the two of them. “This feeling between us, it's only going to get worse. Imagine what will happen when you go back to California when summer rolls around.”

Jason's eyes dulled as he cut his gaze over to the glass. “I'm not going back,” he muttered.

Nico's eyebrows rose. “Why not?”

“I was looking for my family, wasn't I? I found it. You don't know how much I wanted to be part of this family that all of you have going on.” Jason shook his head. “I felt comfortable around all of you, like I belonged. It sort of hurt whenever I got told I couldn't spend time with any of you because you had stuff to do.”

“But we did.”

Slowly, Jason nodded. “I know that now. I just... don't think I can see myself going back now.”

“Honestly, I don't think you should.”

The blue-eyed boy narrowed his eyes. “You say that now!”

Nico chuckled at the pout Jason gave him. “It's different now. Now we know you have magic, something that can be dangerous if you don't learn to control it.” Jason still pouted. Nico smiled and leaned in to peck the boy on his cheek. “And I guess I'd miss you if you left.”

“You better,” Jason mumbled. His brow furrowed as Nico smiled and looked away. He would eventually have to tell Lee and Cecil that he wasn't coming back, though. Jason assumed that his aunt always knew that he would remain here if he found the coven. It didn't change the fact that he was upset with her, though.

All of a sudden, Nico shot up, his eyes wide and his skin even more pale that it normally was. “I need to go talk to Gaea. Now!” He shouted as he stumbled towards the door.

“What's wrong?”

Nico pursed his lips as he glanced back at Jason. “I remember what I forgot.” He let out a sigh and glanced inside. “I'm going to be in so much trouble for what I have possibly let happen.”

\-------------------------------

After dinner, Jason found himself in the cemetery with Kronos. He had given his grandfather the details for his room shortly before dinner. Apparently, Luke and the others would move his stuff out of Mellie's house while he met with the adults. Since most of the decorating would be done magically, Jason was confident they would do justice to his room. Gaea, however, had been absent from dinner. She had spent hours in her study with Nico with the door shut. Jason was not sure when they left, but Kronos had said they were already in the cemetery when it was time to go.

Kronos held out a bag of candy, already chewing on some. Jason shook his head. “Where are the others?” Jason asked quietly.

Kronos nodded towards the mausoleum. “Oh, they are already here. I just thought I'd give mother a bit to break all the news to them, mainly so you don't have to hear some of the outrage. Nico on the other hand... Well, he's going to be in trouble.”

Jason frowned. “For keeping my knowledge a secret?”

There was no quick response. Another piece of candy was shoved into the young man's mouth. “No. I'm afraid his confession is far more grave. It'll probably be dealt with after you.” Arching his brow, Kronos bit off the head of a Sour Patch Kid. “So, I trust that you and Nico had the talk?”

“He told me about the curse between us, if that's what you mean.”

Kronos nodded again. “Good, good.” He sighed and looked down at his bag. “Look, Jason, for what it's worth, I'm sorry you have to have this curse in the first place. It was my fault.” His gold irises shined eerily in the moonlight, almost like an animal. “Perhaps it would have been better if you had never come here.”

“Why do you say that?” Jason asked, slipping his hands into his pockets.

“I have to assume your father had his reasons for leaving and not wanting to even tell us you were born. We only found out because of Nico. And then the fact that you were still alive was kept from us as well.” The young man's brow furrowed. “I take it Nico didn't talk about the other curse?”

Jason shook his head. “You mean the one when Circe got hanged?” Kronos gave a nod. “No, he didn't mention it.”

“Well,” Kronos said, motioning around them, “you can see the effects for yourself.” Jason quirked a brow. “The graves, Jason. The curse was meant to destroy us. Now we have members dropping for random things. Maria was murdered, Pluto sold his soul to try and save Hazel's mother, Demeter's mother had a bad experience with a potion she was working on and it melted her skin off, and then May went insane.”

“May?”

“Luke's mother.” Kronos let out a sigh. “I'm sure you have noticed that death pretty much surrounds our families. We live in the modern world, yet this town treats us like we were back in Salem.” He let out a chuckle. “One of the reasons we don't move to a city. Not that it would matter, the curse would still follow us. Best to minimize the people we have to come in contact with. But the curse also left some other side effects.” Kronos raised a finger and pointed it at his head. “We can literally drive ourselves insane. First, because when we look in the mirror, we can occasionally catch glimpses of our true selves. We look young, but it's like a friendly reminder that we should look like walking corpses. Not only that, but the others can literally sense their deaths. Tartarus...” The young man's lips tilted down. “He said he could feel his approaching right before he died.”

“So, he died of old age?”

Silently, Kronos shook his head. He frowned and folded what was left of the bag before putting it into his pocket. “If Nico isn't ready to tell you, it's not my place to say. But that alone has driven some of my friends completely insane, hearing whispers in their head about how much longer they had on this planet.” He shook his head again. “At least you are here now. You can get answers.”

Answers. Funny, Jason thought, because all he seemed to get was more questions. There were just so many. Why had his parents left in secret? Why didn't they want him to know any of this? Why didn't they ask for Lupa to send him back here if something were to happen to them? Why bind his powers at all? They should have warned him about the curse.

“Come on,” Kronos whispered.

He led Jason over to the mausoleum before he pulled an amulet out from underneath his shirt. The stone was made of sapphire, while a golden lightning bolt sat under the stone. The stone was held in place by metal that was shaped to look like the roots of trees, tangling around the four corners.

Kronos pulled it out and pressed it into the center of the mausoleum, where it actually stuck to the stone. Reaching up, Kronos adjusted the odd markings that Jason had noticed the first time he had come to the cemetery. He watched with fascination as Kronos shifted the odd lines and half triangles until they formed a single figure. A pentagram.

Something clicked inside the stone and the wall opened inwards. Jason just stood there, gawking, for a moment. Kronos slipped his hands into his pockets and took the first few steps into the dark passage. Jason gulped and followed after his grandfather.

There really wasn't any light, so Jason practically had an impossible time navigating. If not for the dim outline of Kronos's shirt in front of him, Jason probably would have tripped or ran into something. But the trail kept winding around, like a spiral staircase, slowly descending into the earth.

All around them, Jason could hear the faint dripping of water. Slow and singular at a time, but it was there. The air felt tighter as they went, like it was being choked out of him. Yet it was cold, like Nico's skin. But colder, much colder.

And then torches came to life. Jason's blood ran cold as he realized what he was staring at.

It was the stone door from his dream, exactly as it had looked. There were a few torches in the room, as well as two spots where water dripped from the ceiling. Skulls lined every inch of the walls, save for the large, stone door. They protruded from the wall, and some even had worms wiggling around in them.

And then there was the door. The strange carvings were still a mystery to him, unable to make out what they said. However, he did finally realize what one of the markings was for. The crescent moons and full moon that sat in the very center of the door was for the Triple Goddess.

The bowl, however, was a little more alarming than when Jason had seen it in his dream. The knife that was inside the bowl, as well as spots on the bowl itself, carried traces of blood. The crimson liquid dripped from the tip of the knife.

Without hesitation, Kronos picked up the knife and slid it along his palm. More blood dripped out as he held his hand over the bowl. Little by little, red liquid filled it up. Jason gulped as Kronos pressed the tip of the dagger inside and swirled it around.

There was a faint hissing noise from the bowl as the blood slid from the bowl, up the wall and into the strange markings. It filled each marking up until it was all bright red. And then it slid into the full moon before the blood turned black. Some of the blood rose to the top of the door, while the rest dripped down to the bottom, both a straight line down the very center.

Then the door split in half and swung open. Inside was a circular room with tiled floor and stone chairs. The walls around the room was filled with dusty books and objects that Jason had never even seen. There was, however, another door that caught his attention. It was large and black with gold trimmings. Large iron chains were bound around it, but there did not appear to be a keyhole. The only thing Jason could see was a circular shape, the same size as the amulets that he kept seeing.

Most of the chairs were filled with the adults, but half were still empty. If he did the math right, Jason counted twenty-six in total. Kronos left him standing there to take a seat in the empty chair beside his mother. However, no one paid him any attention. Instead, all eyes were on Jason.

“Um, hi,” Jason said with an awkward wave.

Hades shook his head with a sigh, while Hermes placed his hands behind his head with a smirk. He knew some of the adults there, but some were complete strangers to him. Gaea, Poseidon, and Hades sat in a triangle formation in the circle of chairs. Demeter was there as well, though she kept herself busy with some knitting. Aphrodite smiled brightly at him from her chair, waving at him flirtatiously. Ares did not look happy about that, but maybe that was just his usual face. Either way, he was slumped in his chair with his arms crossed. Even Apollo was there, though he seemed to be the most relaxed out of the bunch. Leo's father was there, but Jason had only ever caught glimpses of the man when he, Percy, and Leo were working on a project. But that was the extent of who Jason knew in the room.

A short woman sat to the right of Gaea, her facial features striking. Her light brown hair was done in a braid with a golden ribbon tied into it. Her smile was motherly, but not warm like Demeter's. Something felt hidden behind it, like a cat that had just caught the mouse. Her brown eyes studied Jason carefully as the boy fidgeted. Her posture was completely perfect, graceful as she sat in her chair.

Beside Apollo sat a short girl that looked like she could pass for Apollo's baby sister. From what he had heard, Apollo had a twin, but this girl looked several years younger than her brother. But that meant this was Artemis. Her hair was practically the exact opposite of Apollo's golden locks. Apollo's hair reminded Jason of the rising sun, while Artemis' hair was auburn locks looked more like the setting sun. Her eyes were practically silver, like two full moons watching Jason like some wolf. Also unlike her brother, her skin was a pale white. She was very beautiful, though. Her smile was also a lot friendlier than most of what Jason saw in the room.

Leo's father sat on the other side of Ares. He was a very large and odd-looking man. He reminded Jason a lot of a younger Santa Claus, except with brown hair and beard. And a lot less jolly. Jason blinked when he heard a creaking noise from the man. Glancing down, Jason noted that the man's left left leg was missing and had been replaced by some kind of machine leg, sort of like Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon. Which made Jason think the smith viking was a good way to describe the man. The man had a lot of dirt and soot on his face, a lot like Leo and Beckendorf would most days. He was dressed down a lot more than the others, wearing an old jumpsuit that looked like it had seen better days.

Next was a man was too busy drinking wine to pay Jason any attention. Right away, Jason assumed this was Dionysus, the owner of the wine store. At first, Jason thought the man's eyes were reflecting the wine, but then he realized they really were purple. His hair was black and untidy, like the man had better things to do at the moment than worry about his appearance. His nose and cheeks were red, probably from the drinking. But his Hawaiian shirt nearly caused Jason to go blind from its bright colors.

Finally, there was a woman on Artemis' other side. She bore a striking resemblance to Annabeth in the face and eyes. Must be her mother, Jason thought. Unlike her daughter, though, the woman had beautiful black hair that draped down her back in small curls. However, their eyes were the exact same, cold and gray. She carried Annabeth's athletic and lean build as well, with long legs.

Jason blinked, and the next thing he knew, he was standing in the center of the circle. The silence was killing him, though. Would it kill them to just say something? Or maybe he'd rather they not, considering the looks he got from some of them.

Ares was the first to speak, sitting up more in his chair with a confused look on his face. Which seemed appropriate, since he looked like the dumb bully type that flunked most of his classes. “So, let me get this straight: that's Zeus' little brat?”

Hades was slumped in his chair. “He looks like his father, how can you not see that?”

“Yet you didn't care to mention it to the rest of us,” sniped the woman from beside Gaea. Hades and her glared at each other before the woman turned a warm smile on Jason. “Jason, sweetie, we're happy you found your way to us.”

Hermes shrugged. “In Hades' defense, we all thought Zeus' kid died. I'll admit, I was uncertain myself.” His lips tilted down as he examined Jason. “It was like staring at a ghost. Save for the hair. That's your mother's.”

Jason nearly jumped when someone slammed their fists against a stone chair. Turning around, he found Poseidon with a scowl on his face. “Could you really blame Zeus?” He turned to glare at the woman Hades had been glaring at. “I'm surprised Hera didn't try to kill Beryl and the child herself. She always detested Thalia, even after she was adopted by Artemis.”

Hermes smirked and rubbed his chin. “Maybe he got tired of Hera and ran.” He shrugged. “Wouldn't be the first time, as Thalia is the proof of that.”

“Enough,” Annabeth's mother muttered. The woman eyed Jason coldly. “Let us not get distracted by the fact that his very birth was originally kept from us. Not only that, but they wanted us to have nothing to do with him. And Lupa chose not to inform us that he survived. He should have been learning magic years ago.”

“Family is still family,” the woman beside Gaea added. Her eyes narrowed at Poseidon. “And I wouldn't kill him.” She smiled down at Jason. “I like his name. Jason was my father's name.”

Hermes rolled his eyes. “Shut up, Hera.” The woman huffed, but didn't object any further.

Gaea cleared her throat, silencing the room. Jason glanced over at Kronos, who just smirked and nodded his head over to his mother, as if to say: Congratulations, you just became a member of the big family in the coven.

“We are not here to discuss matters that happened a long time ago,” the woman began. “When Zeus left with Beryl without telling us anything, they died. We assumed the child died as well, but it seems it was meant to be kept from us. Perhaps it was their wish to keep young Jason here from this life, but he is here now.” She motioned to Jason. “Is there any objections as far as inducting him goes?”

The room was silent. Kronos placed his hands behind his head. “Then we'll need each of you to begin giving him lessons immediately. He needs to be caught up as fast as possible.”

“Why?” Jason blurted out.

Kronos blinked at him once before rubbing his mouth. “Because, Jason, if you don't learn to control your powers quickly, you will probably lose control of them. Probably in public. The fact that your powers were bound and just sprang to life is not the best way to handle a situation like this. Because your friends have spent their entire lives learning how to control their powers, which have developed slowly over their lessons. Yours, however, have all sprang to life at once. You already have the full power that Nico, Luke, Percy, and the others your age possess, but without any form of control over them. You could very well kill someone at school without meaning to.”

“Again,” Hermes added with a grin.

Kronos let out a sigh. “He didn't kill the boy, just sent him to the hospital.”

Jason frowned, unable to stop himself. “How is any of that different from what you guys do, though? You guys act out against the people in town with your magic.”

Eyes shifted from person to person, several glaring at Jason. “Watch your mouth, brat!” Ares snapped.

“Silence, Ares,” Hera chided him with a snap of her fingers. She let out a breath. “The child does have a point.” She smiled at Jason. “But you have to understand, Jason, we are just defending ourselves. We never use magic in public.”

“At least not obviously,” Dionysus muttered. Hera shot him a dirty look.

It was strange. Through all of this, Hades remained gravely quiet. For someone that was supposed to have been best friends with his father, the man didn't seem very eager to comment on anything. He just sat there, rubbing his chin and staring at Jason.

Apollo leaned forward in his chair. “It's not like we go around killing people, Jason. We just give people what they deserve.” He pointed his finger out at Jason. “You know what's happened to a lot of us. You know about Nico's mother, don't you?” He nodded his head as Jason clenched his fists. “Those people deserved what they got. Most of them are broke and are barely able to scrape by, one is a cute and furry mutt. I think it's an improvement.”

“Do you ever shut up?” Artemis sighed. Apollo grinned over at her. “What my brother is trying to say, is that we don't go around looking for trouble. But, to be fair, the town isn't fully to blame. Our curse makes them hostile towards us, as it would with any other place we went to. The treatment that our kind experienced in Salem is meant to follow us for the rest of our lives.”

“Until the coven is wiped out,” Annabeth's mother added.

Artemis nodded. “Exactly what Athena said. The curse seeks to destroy our coven, drive us apart. We are meant to die,” her eyes shifted over to Kronos, “for what happened.”

Kronos let out a breath, rubbing his eyes. “Are there any problems or concerns about this turn of events, though?”

“None,” Aphrodite said with a smile at Jason. The blue-eyed boy arched a brow and earned a wink from the woman. Now that Jason knew that these people could live for hundreds of years, he wondered what that would classify Aphrodite as. A gilf seemed like an understatement in this case. Not that he wanted to have sex with Aphrodite. Jason shuddered. No way.

Finally, Leo's father looked up. “And how do we know that we can trust him?” Everyone looked over at him in confusion. “He showed up right around the time all of these weird occurrences started happening. The boy came to town on the same flipping day that the first pastor was murdered!”

Hera held up her hand. “Hephaestus, please, calm yourself.”

Poseidon pointed a finger over at the ragged Santa lookalike. “How dare you speak to him that way? Zeus was my friend, and I trust that he was capable of raising a decent child. I lost my friend, and I'd sooner die than turn my back on his son!” The man shouted. He rose to his feet and glared over at Gaea. “Are you going to defend your great-grandson?”

Gaea let out a sigh and motioned for Poseidon to sit down, which he did. Out of magic or willingly, Jason didn't know. “Considering Jason here has had no knowledge that he even possessed magic until this morning, I will assume he isn't related to any of that.” Her fingernails tapped lightly on the arm of her chair. “Nico has told me that he has witnessed barely any signs of magic from Jason until this morning, and none of those hints even made Nico really question anything.”

“You mean the lovesick kid?” Ares grunted. He snorted and shook his head. “I'm sure that is a reliable sou-”

Jason blinked as Ares' mouth filled with spiders. Hades' eyes were pure black when Jason glanced over at him. Ares spat them out, having to smack some of them off of his face. “Watch your mouth when talking about my son,” Hades said, pointing his finger over at the larger man.

“If that is all,” Gaea began, “we have other business to attend to.” All nodded in agreement. With a wave of her hand, Jason was suddenly sitting in a chair in the corner. “Our next order of business, as I said, is most dire. I would say, at the present time, possibly more pressing than these strange occurrences.” She clapped her hands and the stone doors that led out of the chamber opened.

Quietly, Nico walked inside with his head down. He was fidgeting with his hands as he made his way to the center of the circle. Nobody looked happy. Hades looked... disappointed. He let out a sigh as he turned his eyes from his son. What had happened? Jason tried to think, but with everything that had happened today, he came up blank.

“Nico di Angelo,” Gaea's voice boomed, “might you care to explain to the coven what exactly you have done?”

“I-I...” Nico bit down on his lip. “I'm sorry,” he whispered. “I just thought... I wanted to help. We needed answers, and nobody had them.”

Jason's blood drained from his face. Oh. That was what this was about? But Nico shut the-

“I didn't have the knowledge that Jason was a warlock. It's my fault, and I do accept the responsibility for seeking answers from a nephilim. It was foolish of me.” Nico took in a deep breath. “But it told me-”

“Silence!” Ares shouted. “You sought help from the very thing that every magical being has feared since the dawn of time. They are tricksters!” His eyes blazed with anger. “And now it is possibly loose in out town. Or, worse, the rest of the world.”

“Nico,” Gaea began, her voice softer, “have I not taken care of you?” Nico did not look at the woman. “I kept you quiet from the High Coven. We all know what their response would have been for your very birth. That kind of dark magic is forbidden.”

Hades slammed a hand down on his chair. “That was not his fault!” He pointed a finger over to Kronos. “It was his wife's fault!”

“I resolved that matter,” Kronos growled.

Gaea held a hand up. “If this were to get out, there is no telling what else the High Coven might find if they sent their inquisitors. I have no desire to see you taken from us, but I fear that this grave of an issue needs to be turned over to them.”

Tapping a finger to her lips, Athena studied Nico. “We could try to resolve it ourselves. Presumably, the creature could very well still be in Aimes. It may not be, but we do not know one way or the other for sure.”

“I could find it,” Nico suggested.

“No,” Dionysus sighed. “You've helped quite enough.”

Nico let out a heavy sigh. Gaea narrowed her eyes at the pale boy. “Instead, you will follow up on the suggestion from the nephilim. Go to New Orleans, see what we must find there. Apollo will monitor you while you are there to make sure nothing goes wrong.” The woman glared when Apollo opened his mouth. “But he will only observe. You will leave the nephilim to us. We will resolve the issue while you are gone.”

“And what about Jason?” Nico asked.

“What about him?” Replied Hera.

“The nephilim said I needed to take Jason with me.” Nico fidgeted slightly. “If that is okay, I mean.”

Gaea studied everyone for a moment. “Fine, Jason may go with you.” The woman laced her hands together in her lap. “We will come up with a punishment after the issue is resolved, depending on how sever the situation becomes. For your sake, I would hope that the thing has not left Aimes, and that it does not get out of control.”

Nico let out a breath and nodded. He bowed and left the room. Jason got up to follow him, but Kronos shook his head. Jason sighed and sat back down. This sucked. The nephilim was his fault, not Nico's. Or maybe the blame should be on his parents, since they never told Jason what he was. This was a disaster.

When everything was said and done, Jason was taken out of the room by Kronos. Nico was waiting for them in the cemetery. “How did it go with you?” He asked quietly.

Before Jason even replied, he enveloped Nico in a hug. “It was okay. I guess I passed.” He squeezed the boy tightly. “I'm so sorry. That wasn't your fault. If I had known-”

“It is best not to dwell on the past,” Kronos suggested. He let out a breath. “I'm sure the others will let you help in the search when you get back, Nico. Do not blame yourself. Mother is not angry at you specifically, she just had to look harsh. She is upset, but at the situation, not you.” Kronos arched an eyebrow. “Did the others get everything set up?”

“Yes.” Nico's lips slightly tilted up. “I think you'll like it, Jason.” He slid his hand into Jason's and intertwined their fingers. “Percy did go a little overboard with adding blue, though. Lots of blue.”

Kronos gave a nod. “Well then, I suppose I'll see you back at home, Jason.”

Jason nodded as Kronos took off towards the exit. He frowned at Nico. “Can we go somewhere? I just don't really feel like talking to any of the others right now.”

“Sure,” Nico whispered. He took Jason's hand and darkness swallowed them.

They emerged behind Nico's house, where Nico sat down in a black iron swing. Jason let out a breath and sat down next to him, the feel of the fall wind blowing at his face. It had been a long and exhausting day, and Jason sort of just wanted to curl up and go to sleep. At the same time, he wanted to talk to Nico.

Jason rubbed at his face. “Are you okay?”

Nico gave a slow nod. “I will be. It's just... I shouldn't have done what I did. Even without knowing you were a warlock, I should have never turned to a nephilim for answers. And now one is loose, and there's no telling what chaos will be caused by it. I've damned the town.”

“Don't talk like that.”

Nico smirked and leaned against Jason's side. “Just being realistic.”

“Gaea... she was the one the nephilim talked about, though.” Jason studied Nico's face. “Why does she need to keep you from the High Coven? She made you sound like an abomination.”

“I sort of am,” Nico sighed. “My father is right, it wasn't my fault, but Gaea decided to not come forward about me to the High Coven. It's a long story. I know, you're really sick of that. I just don't like talking about it.” The boy looked exhausted. “Maybe she should have. There are times that I wish I was locked up, or something was at least done about me. I can see the worry in a lot of their eyes. I'm sure I'll see it in yours eventually.” He let out a sigh and leaned against Jason. “Can we just talk about it another day? It's just been too long of a day to go into it.”

“Of course,” Jason whispered, brushing some of Nico's hair out of the boy's face.

“How did Mellie find out? She knows my aunt as well, and probably knew I was a warlock.” Jason shook his head. “I have to thank her. She basically took a ticking time bomb into her house, knowing my powers would eventually emerge.”

Nico let out a sigh. “It was before I was born. I had never seen a nephilim before the other night, but my father had. Several of the adults have.” The brown-eyed boy chewed on his lip as he stared at Jason's hand as it rubbed circles on the back of Nico's pale one. “There was an accident years ago. It involved Coach Hedge. That's all I really know. The adults don't talk about it, and neither will she. Maybe you can talk to her.”

“I'll try.” Jason squeezed Nico's hand. “At least we get to go to New Orleans together. That should be fun.”

Nico didn't smile, though. “Yeah. Fun.” He let out a sigh. “I'll probably see my ex, Apollo will be watching us all the time, and I have to meet with the Voodoo Queen. Fun times.” Nico let out a groan and buried his face in the crook of Jason's neck. “But at least we might get some answers to what the hell is going on here.” Nico's dark eyes looked up at the sky. “I just have a bad feeling. Something is wrong. Something bad is coming. I just don't know what.”

“I'll make sure nothing happen,” Jason said with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood.

Nico smiled back at him. “Yes, because I need an inexperienced warlock to protect me.” He cracked his neck with a groan. “Don't you want to see your new room?”

“Why? I have the rest of my life to see it.”

“Fair enough,” Nico mumbled. He let out a sigh as Jason slipped an arm around him. “But I can't stay long, school night and all that.”

Jason pouted, nodding reluctantly. “I know. Do you want to go?”

“Not really.” Nico stood up, stretching. “But I do need to. Besides, you need the rest. You'll be expected to start some of your lessons after school tomorrow. That is if they even make you go. They might just keep you here and tell the school you're sick. I guess we'll see.”

Jason stood up and wrapped his arms around Nico's waist. “I guess so,” he muttered, nuzzling Nico's neck.

“Jason,” Nico whispered, looking away. “I told you that I don't think this is a good idea. It's only going to get harder if we-”

Jason shut the boy up with a kiss. Nico's eyes were wide at first, until they slowly closed. The boy's arms fell lifelessly from Jason's body as the blue-eyed boy leaned Nico backwards. A soft sigh escaped Nico's lips, bringing a smile to Jason's face.

When they separated, Jason rested his head against Nico's forehead. “One date, please? Just give me that one chance.”

Nico chuckled. “You've had chances,” he said, pushing lightly on Jason's chest.

Jason pouted and batted his eyelashes. “Please? A real date. If you still don't want to date me, I'll leave it alone.”

With a smile, Nico narrowed his eyes. “You're lying.” He finally pulled away from Jason, running a hand through his hair. “We'll be in New Orleans this weekend. Impress me there.”

Jason smiled like an idiot as Nico leaned up and pecked him on the cheek. But the next thing he knew, Jason stood in a new room. A very, very blue room. His new room. He smiled as he slowly turned around in a circle to take it all in.

The bed was a canopy bed with dark purple curtains. The comforter was a dark blue and the sheets were white. Loads of pillows decorated the head of the bed. Most of Jason's stuff from Mellie's was there: his laptop, textbooks, video games, trophies, and even his clothes. The clothes had been stored inside a walk-in closet that still had plenty of room for more clothes to be added.

A huge TV was on the wall opposite his bed, all of his DVDs had been stored on a shelf beside it. His laptop had been placed on a desk in the back right corner of his room, right in front of one of the windows. He even had his own private bathroom.

However, something else was waiting for him in the room. On his desk was a massive stack of old books, most that were bound in leather. Taking a look at the cover of the one on the top, Jason found the head of a ram. The feel, however, felt odd, though vaguely familiar. He just couldn't place it, though.

Great, Jason thought to himself, more homework for him.

“Human flesh.”

Jason spun around at the sound of Gaea's voice. “I'm sorry?”

She smiled at him. “The book that you're caressing, it's made of human flesh.” Jason suddenly felt sick as he gently placed the book back down and stepped away from it, dusting his hands on his jeans. “Very old, and taken from a dead man, if you must know. I trust you know you're expected to read through all of those?”

Jason let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. “This is a lot to catch up on.”

“Well then, I suppose you better get started. The others have had years to learn this stuff.” Gaea took a few steps into the room, lacing her hands together. “The other children are being informed of this, but we need you to keep a low profile around school for a while.”

Jason's brow furrowed. “Okay? What's up?”

“Well, for one thing, everyone is going to start to associate you with our families now,” Gaea explained. She sat down on the edge of Jason's bed. “I trust you know that means that most people in the town will probably dislike you.”

“More than they already do?”

Gaea slowly nodded. She seemed friendly enough, but something within her cold eyes still made Jason feel cautious. “I'm afraid so. I feel that these are dark times coming for the coven, and I'm sorry that you had to find us while all of this is going on.” She frowned at Jason. “You haven't noticed anything strange going on around town, have you?”

After a moment of thinking, Jason shook his head. “Not that I can think of, but I'll keep my eyes out.” He let out a breath. “You're not going to be too hard on Nico, are you? He didn't know about me.”

“And yet he shouldn't have gone to a nephilim in the first place,” Gaea sighed. “We will see how bad the situation gets.” Gaea grabbed the doorknob and smiled. “Have a good night, Jason.”

Jason sighed as the door closed. The disaster looming on the horizon aside, Jason found himself liking the new turn of events more and more as the day had gone on. Of course, he had to remember that Nico and the others kept talking about magic and the fact that it had rules. He had to keep in mind that he couldn't just go on some crazy spree.

The boy collapsed onto his bed at the same time his phone began to buzz. His brow furrowed as he reached into his pocket and dug it out. As expected, it was from his aunt. Although, Jason had to wonder how appropriate that term was anymore. She did raise him for three years, but for some reason the term didn't feel right anymore.

With a sigh, Jason accepted the call and held the phone up to his ear. “Hey, Lupa.”

“Well don't sound so excited to talk to the woman that took care of you for the past few years,” the woman chided him, like she knew exactly what he had been thinking. With what Jason knew now, he had to wonder if she really could. “I take it you are mad?”

“A little,” Jason admitted. His lips tilted down. “Listen, you can't see me right now or anything crazy like that, maybe read minds?”

The woman on the other end of the call gave a soft laugh. “Don't be silly, Jason, our kind cannot read minds.” Jason let out a sigh, rolling his eyes. “I understand your frustration, but I was merely doing what your parents made me swear to do.”

“Gaea said you don't value oaths as highly.”

“This is true, she is right. However, your parents did, so I wished to honor their requests.”

“But you didn't,” Jason muttered. He ran a hand through his hair. “You sent me here, and I'm pretty sure they didn't want that.”

“No,” Lupa answered softly. “I never agreed with their wish to keep you in the dark as to what you are. You are strong, Jason. You come from a strong family. This is why I sent you to Louisiana, to discover what I was forbidden to tell you.”

“You couldn't have pointed me to them?”

“What part of forbidden does not get through that thick skull of yours, Jason?” The woman chided him. It had to make Jason wonder why she appeared to be older, when he had just found out that witches and warlocks still look young when they die. “You found them, didn't you? I promised your parents that I would maintain your binding, but I couldn't maintain it if you were no longer nearby.”

Jason let his head fall back, realization dawning on him. “So you sent me away.” His brow furrowed. “So, you're just really good at finding loopholes?” Chewing on his lip for a moment, Jason realized there was something else he wanted to ask. “Aunt Lupa?”

“What is it, my brave soldier?”

Letting out a breath, Jason closed his eyes. “The night my parents were murdered... did I die?” There was no answer. “Aunt Lupa?”

“I heard you,” she finally replied. Jason heard her let out a breath. “Yes,” she whispered. “You died, but you were brought back.”

Jason sat up with a frown. “Magic that strong has to come at a price, doesn't it?”

“Do not worry about it, Jason.” Jason heard the creak of a chair. “I know a trick or two.”

Jason ran a hand down his face. Nico was right, he supposed, he really should have been dead. Pulling his hand back, Jason found that he was shaking. It was not every day that someone found out they, technically, should be a rotting corpse. Jason felt sick. What if he was a zombie?

“Okay,” Jason whispered. He nodded his head, even though he knew she wouldn't be able to see it. He didn't know how to feel right now. But he knew that he wasn't really in the talking mood anymore. “Listen, can I let you go? I just need to think.”

“Oh.” He could hear the hurt in his aunt's voice. “Of course, Jason. If you need me, always feel free to call. I still love you, Jason, but I am glad that you've found your family. It's where you belong.”

“Yeah. I love you, too.” He let out a sigh before pulling the phone away from his ear and ended the call.

The phone dropped onto the bed and Jason closed his eyes. There were so many emotions running through his mind. He was happy that he finally found his family and had a real home with them. He also loved his new room, but it almost felt foreign to him. Perhaps it would just take time to adjust to. But most of all, Jason felt resentful. Mostly at his parents. Why had they run? Why did they want to keep Jason from having a life here? Jason felt bitter towards them.

And what if they had never left Aimes? He could have grown up with his parents, sister, grandfather, and great-grandmother. They could have been a real family. It was what Jason had wanted ever since he met the others, to have grown up here. He could have already met Nico and grown up with him, cursed be damned.

The curse. Jason opened his eyes and stared blankly up at ceiling. Maybe they could break it, though. He could only hope, right?

And there was the nephilim. It sent a chill down Jason's spine knowing that the thing was still out there. He could still see that wicked smirk and those creepy animal-like eyes. As much as it would suck, he hoped the thing was still in Aimes. He didn't want the news getting to this High Coven he kept hearing about. He didn't want them to take Nico away.

Yet, with all of this, he could not help but think back to the night he had met the nephilim. He now knew who the woman it had spoken of was. Maybe that was why he had trust issues with Gaea. He remembered what the thing had said to Nico about Gaea. What was she planning that involved Nico?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm feeling good about all of this. I know that it feels like I keep piling on more questions, but that's part of what can make a story good. I think my only concern has been how long it's taking to reveal who the antagonist is. Although, the role of antagonist is widely subjective in the case of this story. Or maybe villain. Villain is a subjective term in most cases, and this is no exception. Plus villain and antagonist don't always mean the same thing. And you'll definitely be introduced to several characters that you'll feel are the bad guy. So don't try to look at it like things are black and white.
> 
> But I'll probably have that reveal in the next chapter or two. It'll be in New Orleans. I'm betting some of you do already have suspicions as to who is causing problems. Definitely lots of questions raised concerning Gaea and Nico. Nico and his grandfather, Tartarus, are probably my two favorite characters in this story.
> 
> Oh, and the thing I asked if any of you figured out last chapter was the nephilim. I wanted to see how many remembered what Nico said about sealing one away properly. The next few chapters will definitely be interesting ones. I'm not sure what I want to do with next chapter yet. In the old version, the chapter consisted primarily of the lessons for Percy, or Jason in this case. But I have a lot of other things going on this time around, like preparing for New Orleans and a nephilim hiding somewhere. But I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
> 
> Oh! And, if any of you read Children of Loss, the first chapter of the spinoff has been posted. You can go hunt that down from my profile, if you want to read it. If you haven't read Children of Loss, and are curious about this new fic, I'd suggest tackling the giant that is the main story first. All 60 chapters. But I am going to go. Hope you all loved the update, and I'll see you next time.


	15. Help, My Boyfriend is Possessed by His Grandfather

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back again with another chapter. Sorry for the delay. Well, I guess it wasn't a huge delay. Somewhere around twenty days. Could have finished it earlier, but I had my reasons. As I've mentioned, the next chapter will be set in New Orleans. The problem is that I have not been there in years. Luckily, two of my friends are going to be passing through there at the end of the month. So do not expect chapter 16 until late July or early August. I also have to research a lot of voodoo before then.
> 
> So I had several readers ask about the nephilim. The reason it could have gotten out is because of Jason. Nico said in the chapter they summoned it that any and all witches or warlocks present when it gets summoned has to offer some blood to send it back. They didn't know about Jason, so Nico didn't send it away properly. Which, if you go back now that you know about Jason, will make the conversation more interesting. Because the thing knows Jason is a warlock. It knew that Nico didn't know yet. It knew that they wouldn't seal it away properly. It also knows more than it gave away, as indicated by what it says to Jason towards the end.

Tartarus sat at the kitchen island, while Kronos fiddled around in the freezer. It wasn't the one Jason remembered being in the kitchen, though, nor was Kronos dressed like he had earlier. Kronos wore a white button up shirt with black suspenders. Tartarus wore a dark turtleneck sweater, watching the other male like a hawk. Kronos pulled out a bag of ice and walked back over to Tartarus.

“Lift it.”

Tartarus rolled his eyes, clinging tightly to the stool that he sat on. “I'm fine, Kronos, really.”

Kronos didn't budge. “Your shirt. Take it off, or I'll make it disappear.”

Letting out a sigh, Tartarus lifted the hem of his shirt, dragging his shirt over his head. All across his pale skin were dark bruises, just like the ones Jason had seen on Nico. “It's nothing that I can't handle.” He winced as Kronos applied the bag of ice to the largest bruise. “I know what I'm doing, Kronos.”

“Of course you do,” Kronos muttered sarcastically. Light brown eyes flickered up before Kronos turned around and swiped his index finger into a wooden bowl. When he pulled his finger out, a dark green gel covered the majority of it. Pursing his lips, Kronos ran the green goo all all over the other guy's chest and back. “This isn't any way to live.”

Reaching up, Tartarus took hold of the hand Kronos was using to apply the gel to his body. The look the pale young man gave him certainly was not one that implied they were over. And neither was the deep kiss that Tartarus gave Kronos. “You worry too much.”

At the sound of someone clearing their throat, the two sprang apart. Gaea walked in with a glass, which she deposited into the sink. She arched a brow as she walked over and picked up a pear. “Is there anything we can do for you, Tartarus?” She asked calmly.

The pale warlock shook his head, forcing a smile onto his lips. His eyes flickered back to Kronos' face, who was back to applying the gel. “No, ma'am.”

The three bodies and even the room itself dissolved into smoke. The scene changed and Jason now saw Nico's house, which had quite a few people inside of it. Hades paced around at the bottom of the stairs, while several women ran up and down them. Tartarus stood down the hall, staring up at an old portrait of his father. There was a dark look in the warlock's eye, like he blamed the painting for whatever had happened.

Hera came down the stairs in a hurry, a handful of bloody blankets in her arms. Hades grabbed her am. “What's happening up there?” He asked her.

“I cannot say for certain, but things do not look good.”

Tartarus turned his head slightly. Off to the side, and in the shadows, stood Kronos with his arms crossed over his chest. Tartarus motioned farther down the hallway, where Kronos quietly followed him.

Tartarus closed the door to the study, his lips tightly pursed. Kronos poured himself a glass of scotch and drank the whole thing in the next second. Letting out a sigh, the older of the two poured himself a second drink.

Sitting down on the desk, Kronos held up his glass and stared into it. “This is her fault, Tartarus. I tried to warn you.”

“Her fault?” Tartarus practically shouted. A book went flying from one of the shelves. “How about we start at the real accusations here? How about Rhea? She cursed my daughter-in-law.” Tartarus pointed his finger toward the door. “My grandson is going to die!”

When a dagger appeared in Tartarus' hand, Kronos shot up from the desk. “And what are you going to do with that? I will handle her if she truly is responsible.”

“Like you handled my sister?” Tartarus hissed back.

Narrowing his gaze, Kronos put the drink down. “She left us no choice. I was protecting you, protecting us.” Something seemed very different about Kronos. A deep anger and sadness filled his eyes as he stared back at Tartarus.

Tartarus placed a hand on his chest. “I am not going to just stand around and lose my grandson.” This drew a dark glare from Kronos. “If someone will die, it'll be me.”

The anger quickly faded from Kronos's eyes. “No, absolutely not. I will not let you do such a thing.”

“The balance of life cannot be tampered with, Kronos. I learned my lesson the first time. If my grandson must live, another must die.” Tartarus pursed his lips. “It should be me. It's almost my time, Kronos, I can feel it. The whispers get louder every day, and I can see my reflection turning into nothing but bones. I'd rather die like this, then suffer that death. It's time for me to atone for all that I've done over the years.”

“But this? I can't watch you die, Tartarus.”

The younger warlock rubbed his arm. “I know. But... I can't just watch my grandson die, Kronos.” Tartarus cast his eyes to the floor. With a small smile, he leaned in and gave the other a quick, chaste kiss. With a sad look, Kronos watched Tartarus turn towards the door. “I'll send for you when it's over.”

Kronos reached out and squeezed Tartarus' hand, letting it slowly slip away as the younger warlock moved towards the door. Kronos sat back down on the desk, completely still. After a while, he rubbed his temples as he took in a deep breath.

It felt like an eternity passed before there was a knock at the door. As it opened, a young man that looked very similar to Hades, just with shorter hair and colder eyes, poked his head in. “He wants to see you.” When Kronos didn't move, the young man stepped into the room. “Kronos?”

“I heard you, Pluto,” Kronos whispered, rising from the desk in a daze. There was a far off look in his eyes as Kronos followed Pluto up the stairs. Pluto led him to another door before leaving Kronos' side.

Kronos took in a deep breath before turning the doorknob.

On the bed was Tartarus, his eyes completely black. His skin was sickly pale, some of his veins even visible. From the center of his chest came a faint line of wisp, which traveled up and into the wall, directly into the next room where the baby was being born. Kronos found it impossible to move. Ever so slowly, Tartarus' cheeks began to sink in.

Clenching his jaw, Kronos looked away. Tears began to form in the immortal warlock's eyes as he crossed the room and knelt beside the bed. He looked almost childlike as he shakily clutched the other warlock's hand.

“Four hundred years, and now you're going to leave me?” Kronos smiled a little, squeezing Tartarus' hand. “It's kind of a crappy way to end things.”

Tartarus couldn't help but smile. “We were always meant to end up here. Rules and oaths are there for a reason, after all.”

Kronos wiped at his eyes and crawled onto the bed, cradling Tartarus against his chest. “I wouldn't have changed any of it.” He pressed a kiss to the pale warlock's forehead, one of his tears falling into Tartarus' hair. “I will never love anyone else more than I love you.”

Still smiling, Tartarus reached up and brushed some of the tears from Kronos' face. “Thank you, for everything. I'm sorry about the vial.”

“I know,” Kronos whispered. The warlock was fighting back sobs by this point, but he kept smiling. He leaned down and pressed their lips together for what would probably be the final time. “I love you, and I will miss you so much.”

The blackness in Tartarus' eyes slowly faded, leaving behind nothing but white. “I know,” the warlock whispered. “I love you, too.”

Kronos began to sob into Tartarus' hair, cradling his lover's head under his chin. “I don't want to lose you.”

But no answer came. The hand that had been holding onto Kronos dropped onto the bed and Kronos only buried his face deeper into Tartarus' hair. It was so different seeing the man that had been so calm and relaxed earlier sob uncontrollably, but it was entirely understandable. Pulling back from the now dead warlock, Kronos laid down beside him, brushing gently at his hair. Under his breath, Kronos kept mumbling the same word over again: No.

He stared down at Tartarus' face, running the back of his hand against the softness of the pale cheek. Kronos leaned down and kissed Tartarus again, but only cried harder when he felt the cold lips. Kronos stood up, running his hands through his hair, his eyes wild.

There was a light knock at the door. “Go away,” Kronos growled.

The door opened anyways. An African American woman that greatly resembled Hazel slid inside, keeping her eyes to the floor. “Kronos,” she whispered.

“Go away, Marie,” Kronos whispered, not taking his eyes off Tartarus' body.

“Hades wanted me to come get you. Maria wants to ask you something.”

Letting out a long breath, Kronos nodded. He turned around and followed the woman out the door. As he entered the room next door, Kronos found Hades sitting on the edge of the bed next to Maria. Nico's mother was so beautiful and serene. She held her hands out for Kronos to come over to her, but the warlock barely moved. In Hades' arms was a baby boy.

Marie rubbed Kronos' back, handing him a tissue. Kronos thanked her and wiped at his eyes. He cleared his throat and looked up at the couple on the bed. “You wanted to see me?”

Maria offered him a sympathetic smile, as if she knew exactly what was hurting Kronos. Perhaps she did. “Hades and I wanted to ask you to be the godfather.”

Fixing his hair, Kronos gave a nod. “Of course.”

Hades stood up, offering the baby out for Kronos. Awkwardly, the baby was placed into Kronos' arms. Kronos stared down at the newborn with a perplexed expression, like he didn't even know what the thing was. The baby giggled at him, reaching an arm up for him. Kronos leaned his head back, making a face of discomfort.

Hades clapped Kronos on the back and the two walked out into the hallway. Kronos walked over to a nearby window, keeping an eye on the baby. A slight pain formed in Kronos' chest. It had Tartarus' eyes. Hades had them as well, but these felt different somehow. More familiar.

“So,” Kronos began, “what are you going to call the kid?”

Hades pulled out a cigar and lit it. The warlock had the biggest smile on his face as he put the cigar in his mouth. Hera passed by and chided him about smoking one of those things around a baby. Rolling his eyes, Hades put the thing out on the bottom of his shoe.

Turning to face Kronos, Hades let out a sigh. “Nico. His name is going to be Nico. Maria picked it out.”

Kronos slowly nodded. He looked down at the baby again. Baby Nico let out a small laugh as he stared up at the man holding him. Kronos' shoulders relaxed as he slowly rocked his arms back and forth. Hades squeezed his shoulder before returning back to the room with Maria. As he slowly rocked the baby, Kronos began to hum. Another tear slid down his cheek as the corners of his lips tilted up.

Jason shot up in bed, gasping for breath. He coughed a few times, his throat feeling dry. Jason slowly crawled out of bed and reached over to turn on the lamp beside his bed. His skin felt cold, even though it was fairly warm in his room. With a deep breath, Jason rose to his feet and picked up his shirt from the floor. After putting it on, he walked over and opened his door.

Wanting a drink of water, Jason wandered downstairs. This would be so much easier when he learned how to make water appear beside his bed. He yawned and ran a hand through his hair. Once he was at the bottom of the stairs, Jason stopped and blinked.

There was a light coming from the kitchen. Raising a brow, Jason continued on his way towards the kitchen. Not like there was probably any danger, right? Surely the house was warded with magic to keep intruders out. So, logically, there were only two other options for who it could be.

It turned out to be Kronos. The immortal warlock sat at the kitchen island with a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth. His golden eyes blinked in surprise when he noticed Jason there. It was still odd to see his grandfather like this—currently wearing an old T-shirt and boxers. Kronos appeared to be more of an older brother, rather than an actual grandfather.

Jason let out a yawn and walked over to the refrigerator. It wasn't really that surprising when he found it stocked with just about any drink imaginable. The downside was trying to make a decision.

“Magic fridge,” Kronos mumbled, putting another spoonful of ice cream in his mouth. “It can sense what you're wanting—food or drink—and will fill itself with different options.” He eyed Jason as the teenage boy pulled out a Powerade. “Trouble sleeping?”

“More like another dream,” Jason mumbled, opening the bottle. He took a seat across from his grandfather.

Kronos picked up some more ice cream and stared at it for a moment. “Well, not to be the bearer of bad news, but your days are about to get a lot harder. After you get home from school, you'll start your magic lessons. You'll get a break for dinner, then back to your studies.” He grunted with a frown, staring at his ice cream. “Also, I hope you weren't too attached to your sports, because I wouldn't expect that you'll remain on the teams.”

He probably shouldn't be surprised. Jason knew that the others didn't get to play sports. Not like his teammates would want him either way. They were already starting to stare distastefully at him during practice. Whether it was due to the curse or Jason's choices, there was no telling. And, sure, he had lessons, but would anyone react differently in Jason's case? He was getting to learn about magic!

“Are you sure you're okay?” Kronos asked, eyeing Jason funny. “You look rather pale.”

Jason stared down at his hands. His stomach was still in small knots from his dream. Even if he hadn't been the one to experience it, Jason still felt the pain. His brow furrowed as he looked back up at his grandfather. “Nico was going to die?”

With a sigh, Kronos dropped his spoon into the glass bowl in front of him. “It was that dream then.” The immortal warlock leaned back in his seat. His golden eyes flickered off to the side in thought. “That was a very long day, one that I do not like to think about.” His eyes met with Jason's blue ones. “But... I suppose this is something you should know.”

“Tartarus had bruises on him, just like Nico does.”

Kronos slowly nodded. “Tartarus was a very powerful warlock, far beyond the skill of what his father could ever dream of becoming. Hades is powerful, but not quite there. Perhaps it's for the best.” Kronos crossed his arms. “Tartarus did some things—we did some things... that weren't brought to the knowledge of the coven, Jason. Due to this, Tartarus became stronger. But power always comes at a price, and his consumed him to a point where I nearly lost him. However, Tartarus did things that had been unheard of to witches and warlocks all over the world. His power over death was astounding, and my mother saw his potential right away.”

Jason swallowed a lump in his throat. “What did he do?” His voice came out as merely a whisper, even though he didn't mean for it to.

“It happened while I was gone.” Kronos gestured to Jason. “You saw the time I came back, the time he banished me from the house. That was right after he did this.” The golden-eyed immortal let out a sigh. “I'm sure you know by now that alongside our world is the world of spirits and all things dead. It runs parallel to our own, yet never really touches. Things cross over from time to time, but cannot physically harm the living directly.”

Jason nodded.

“When we first arrived here, some of the locals—the voodoo tribes—took an interest in Tartarus. Through them, Tartarus was able to cross over into the spirit world. Astounding, but not unheard of. The voodoo witch doctors had already mastered it, obviously.” Kronos pressed his lips together for a moment, not really meeting Jason's gaze. “It wasn't until later that he exceeded even them. You see, Tartarus found a way to anchor his body to both the world of the living and the realm of the dead. At the same time.”

Jason blinked in surprise. “That sounds pretty cool. So, he was able to see spirits everywhere?”

Kronos seemed hesitant to continue. He let out a sigh and focused his attention back on Jason. “Because of this, spirits were able to physically touch him. Whether they wanted his help, or they sought to cause him harm, it didn't matter.” His grandfather shook his head. “Unfortunately, Tartarus was never able to learn a way to remove himself from the spirit world by doing this. He tried everything, but nothing worked.”

It felt like a large rock had settled in Jason's stomach. He knew that he wasn't going to like what was about to be asked, but it needed to be brought up. “I-Is that why Nico gets those bruises? Is it because Tartarus sacrificed himself to save Nico?”

As much as Jason wanted Kronos to deny it, he didn't. “Yes. When Tartarus did that, he left an imprint of his soul and power on Nico. The boy never wanted this, but we can't find a way to fix it.” Kronos swallowed a lump in his throat. “And I am still bound to my curse because of it.”

“What do you mean?”

“You see,” Kronos sighed, “because of this imprint on Nico, Tartarus cannot truly exist in the spirit world. He doesn't exist at all anymore.”

“Wait.” Jason clutched his head with a groan. “So, Nico is Tartarus now?” Was he seeing his grandfather's lover? Awkward.

To Jason's surprise, Kronos let out a small chuckle. “No, nothing like that.” The immortal warlock leaned forward on the counter. “Nico is completely himself, just with a little extra power. Possibly a few extra years of life, but we can't know for certain about that. However, when he gave up himself to save Nico, Tartarus' essence was torn apart. His soul is shattered inside of Nico's own soul. Part of it tried to move on, but part remained here. A life essence cannot exist if it is split like that.”

“So,” Jason began slowly, “Nico isn't like possessed by Tartarus then?”

The corners of Kronos's mouth tilted up. “No, I assure you that is not the case.” The smile did not last, and Kronos slowly let out a sigh. “Tartarus could not reform his soul on his own, and I know he wouldn't try even if he had that power. So, for now, Nico is merely blessed with more power.” Kronos held up a finger. “On another note. As you may know by now, there are a lot of spirits in the di Angelo house. I'm sure you can figure out what that implies.”

Jason slowly nodded, pressing his lips together. He wondered if Nico had to suffer every night with some spirit tried to reach out to him, or even tried to hurt him. It would explain it all. Hades and Persephone had never seemed like the type to harm Nico, so it had never made any sense. Now it did. It was no wonder that Nico occasionally wanted to crash with Luke, or even with Jason.

Jason had to respect Hades a little. The man had to be understanding if he let his son sleep at other houses a few nights a week in order to take care of him. Jason let out a sigh. Well, it looked like he had another thing to add to his list of things that needed to be fixed. He wasn't going to just stand by and let Nico suffer over something he didn't even do.

“So... Nico is strong?” Jason asked ever so eloquently.

Kronos snapped his fingers and coffee appeared in front of him. “Yes. He doesn't like to admit it. Probably wouldn't suggest talking to him about it. He doesn't think it is... What is it you kids say these days?” Kronos' eyes narrowed, then he snapped his fingers with a smirk. “Cool. Yes, cool.” Feeling proud of himself, Kronos took a sip of coffee. “Nico, obviously, does not see his powers as a blessing, as they are not fully his own. At least that is how he sees it.”

Jason's eyebrows raised a little. “How strong are we talking?”

Kronos smirked a little. “I wouldn't suggest getting on his bad side.” The warlock let out a sigh. “With his own magic, plus what he acquired, Nico is stronger than even Tartarus.” The golden-eyed warlock shook his head. “The kid does not like being a leader, though. No matter how much my mother and Hades try to get him to be. He hides behind people like Reyna and Luke when he wants to direct orders to our younger witches and warlocks, or just lets Percy handle it.”

Something hit Jason. “Why did she do it?”

“Who?”

“My grandmother.”

Kronos let out a long sigh. He pushed his finished ice cream aside and took another sip of his coffee. “Rhea found out that I was still seeing Tartarus. Perhaps it was my own fault, but it's not exactly easy to stay away from someone you care so much about. I'm sure you're starting to understand something similar.” His grandfather's eyes dulled. “She was very jealous, your grandmother.”

“She's not alive, though.” Jason pressed his lips together.

Kronos never said anything. Instead, he leaned forward and pressed his index finger to Jason's forehead. A blinding light overcame Jason and the kitchen faded away.

Rhea sat in a leather chair in front of the fireplace. It was Jason's house, though there were minor differences in the decoration. She held a glass of wine in one hand, while her other was clutching a book. The door flew open, causing her to jump.

The power flickered and then Kronos stood a few feet from her. His light brown eyes seemed to blaze in the light of the fire. Rhea closed her book, setting it aside. “Kronos, what's wrong?” She calmly asked.

Kronos clenched his fists. “You know what's wrong,” he growled.

Rhea calmly placed her hand in her lap. “It was for the best, Kronos. I only did what-”

Her words caught in her throat as she flew backwards, hitting her head against the stone fireplace. Kronos took a few steps closer, holding a hand out towards her. As he watched her, blood began to drip out from Rhea's eyes, nose, and mouth. The witch tried to scream, but it only caused blood to pour out faster. Kronos' eyes truly began to blaze, slowly turning gold as if the brown color was being burned away.

Behind him, the wine cabinet busted open and all the wine came pouring out of the bottles. It floated through the air, trailing its way over to Rhea. With a sneer, Kronos flicked his wrist. Rhea's mouth shot open, her jaw cracking and the corners of her lips ripping. The wine slowly began to pour itself down her throat. All of it. The woman began to cough some up, but it just merged back with the rest of the wine. In the firelight, Kronos' eyes looked like a cat. There was no mercy there, just cold and harsh vengeance.

Eventually, all of the wine disappeared down Rhea's throat. Some of it dribbled down the side of her cheek. But the woman just laid there, her body and eyes lifeless. Kronos' eyes didn't change back like they normally did. He cracked his neck and continued to stare at the dead body of Rhea.

Kronos didn't even flinch when Gaea cleared her throat. The woman raised an eyebrow, but did not utter a word. She seemed eerily calm about the whole ordeal, Jason thought, almost like it wasn't the first time she had seen something like this.

She walked over to the wine cabinet, letting out a sigh when she noticed that it was all gone. Gaea shook her head. “I suppose we'll need some more wine then.”

Blinking, Kronos cut his eyes over to where his mother stood. Without saying anything, Kronos lifted a hand and snapped his fingers. Rhea's body caught fire, quickly burning itself to ash. Gaea let out a sigh and flicked her hand. The ashes dissipated into the air. Instead of wine, the woman poured herself a glass of scotch. Sipping at it, she walked up to Kronos, running her fingers across his cheek.

That scene faded away and the kitchen slowly drifted back into Jason's vision. Kronos sat back in his seat, a heavy frown on his face. With a snap of his fingers, more ice cream appeared in front of him, this time with a second bowl. He silently pushed one of them across the kitchen island. Jason looked down at it, taking the spoon in his hand. He didn't know what to say.

“You killed her,” Jason finally said.

Kronos just shrugged, stirring at his ice cream absentmindedly. “I did care for your grandmother, but she killed the thing I cared about most.” His golden eyes flickered up to Jason's face. Jason wondered why Kronos kept them that way now. “The coven doesn't tolerate such things, Jason. What Rhea did is not tolerated by the cove. Especially the fact that she tried to harm Maria and Nico in the process. What I did was sanctioned by our laws.”

Jason's lips formed a thin line. “But you also said that you and Tartarus did things that the coven doesn't allow. You broke your oath.” He quickly shut his mouth. “I-I didn't mean it like that. Um, it's just that-”

“It's fine, Jason.” Kronos was no longer meeting his gaze. Instead, the warlock stirred his ice cream, but made no action to eat it. “Yes, I have done things that the coven do not know of. Most of the coven members have their dark secrets. However, this was not kept hidden, and I didn't mean for it to. I would do it all over again without a second thought.”

\----------------------------------------

The next morning, Jason barely got to school on time. With how late he stayed up, Jason felt exhausted. He was awake, but the blond had nearly drowned himself in coffee to get him through the day. He worked his way through the crowd of students to search for Nico. There were a lot of stares coming his way, none of them pleasant. At least it was a small high school.

He found Nico at the boy's locker. As the boy was about to leave, Jason grabbed his arm. Nico blinked at him before looking over his shoulder. “You look exhausted.”

“Good morning to you as well,” Jason mumbled.

Nico's eyes drifted off as he watched several students pass, giving the two of them dark looks. “Looks like the curse is working for you now. Still need to find out what was dampening it before.” The brown-eyed boy let out a breath. “I need to get to class. What's up?”

“I need to talk to you.”

Nico held up his hand. “If it's about your dream last night, I don't want to talk about it.” Jason opened his mouth, but Nico cut him off. “We are connected. I will know things. You'll know things. Get over it.”

Shaking that new piece of information off, Jason frowned. “It's not that, but the situation does suck. We should talk about it... at some point.” Nico just stared at him with a blank expression. “I wanted to talk to you about what it means.”

“Not here,” Nico mumbled. He glanced over his shoulder with a frown. “Too public.” Pressing his lips together, Nico shouldered his backpack. “I just... don't like talking about my grandfather.” His brown eyes became dull. “You dream about the events of the past, I know them because I have his memories. I know everything that he did, everything he thought.” Nico's eyes became hard as they looked back at Jason. “He was not a good person for several years. He committed a lot of atrocities. Yet the coven let it all slide, at least for the things they knew about.”

Taking a moment to comprehend what Nico had just said, Jason shook his head. “No, I just wanted to ask if you had tried to do anything about... your situation.” The blond motioned to all of Nico's body. “You know, with the bruising and what's causing it.”

Nico took in a deep breath. “I see. Kronos told you about that.” His lips scrunched up. Jason thought Nico might snap at him, but the boy's shoulders relaxed. “We have all weekend together. We can talk all you want then. I'll be honest with any question you ask.” He gave a small smile. “Is that okay? I do have to get to class.”

Jason smiled and nodded. “Deal.” Before Nico could react, Jason leaned in and pecked the boy on the cheek. When he pulled back, Jason was pleased to see a blush on Nico's cheeks. “I'll see you in class later.”

The day did not go that well, which Jason had expected. By the time lunch rolled around, Jason had already gotten enough dirty looks and rude comments to last him a lifetime. He did have several people, including teachers, tell him that they would pray for him. Someone had also said, “Bless your heart,” which Jason really didn't understand why that was supposed to be an insult.

Kinzie stopped him in the lunch line. “Jason, is it true?”

He glanced at the girl as he had some fries dropped on his tray, with a mean look from the lunch lady at that. “Is what true? I've heard quite a bit about myself.” He offered a fake smile. “You'll have to be more specific.”

“She means to ask if you're really a devil worshiping witch cultist,” Eros supplied, appearing on Jason's other side and snatching a fry. With a grin, he popped it in his mouth. “Someone still has a crush on you.”

Kinzie's cheeks lit up. “I do not!” She cleared her throat and placed a hand on Jason's arm. “No offense, sugar, but my mother would kill me for dating someone that worshiped the devil.”

Eros grumbled and got his own food, munching on another fry. “Funny,” he muttered under his breath. He let out a sigh. “Don't worry about them, Jason.”

“Don't tell him that,” Kinzie hissed at him. “Jason needs to come to church.”

“Um,” Jason glanced between the two of them, “does Jason get a say in this? Because I've never really cared for churches.”

“Big surprise there,” Kelli said sarcastically as she passed by.

With a sad glance at Jason, Kinzie went ahead to pay for her food, which left Jason and Eros alone to get the rest of their lunch. “Don't mind her,” Eros said. He tilted his head to the side. “Why didn't you tell me that you were related to Kronos?”

Jason's brow furrowed. “You never mentioned him to me before.”

“Well he's got your last name.”

“He does?”

Eros looked at him funny as he got a bottle of water. “Yes... We talked about it a while back.”

Jason just looked more confused. “We did?”

“Jason, are you feeling all right?” Eros looked very concerned, feeling Jason's head. “Don't you remember?”

It finally hit Jason. The town's memories were back. “Oh. Right. Sorry, it's been an off day.” He smiled down at Eros. “I do believe I recall that conversation.”

“No big deal.” A smirk spread across Eros' lips. “Well, if you've had a rough day, why not come spend some time with me tonight?” He let out a sigh as he paid lunch lady. “My parents are going to be gone tonight, and Octavian wanted to have a movie night or something. Rather boring.” Eros smirked up at Jason. “So... do you think you'd want to come over?”

After paying for his lunch, Jason walked a few feet and then stopped in the middle of the lunchroom. “I don't know. I don't think they'd want me there.”

Eros just waved him off. “It'll be fine. Really. Besides, it's my house.”

“Won't your parents get upset?” Jason frowned and glanced over to where Nico sat with the others. Percy stood up and waved him over. Jason held up a finger to tell them to give him a moment. Jason licked his lips and leaned closer. “I don't think your dad would appreciate me being in his house now that everyone knows who I'm related to.”

“Like I said, he'll be out. He'll never know anyone was there. Or maybe he will. He's been rather... quiet lately.” Eros took in a breath and smiled. “It's been nice and quiet at home. No trouble at all. So?”

“I-”

“Come on. Please?” Eros pouted at him. “It'll be fun.”

Rolling his eyes, Jason nodded. “Okay, fine. I might can drop by sometime after dinner. I have... some stuff to take care of after school.”

“That works.” Eros smirked again and stuck another fry in his mouth. They came to where Nico and the others sat. While Jason sat down, Eros winked at Luke, who turned bright red. “See you tonight, Jason.”

Luke immediately leaned forward when Eros was gone. “What's going on tonight?”

“You need to calm down,” Annabeth muttered from behind a thick book, slowly reaching over it to pick at her food.

Jason just shrugged. “He invited me over for some movies. I doubt the others will appreciate me being there, though. Not now.” He let out a sigh. “Today has been... something.”

“Welcome to our lives,” grumbled Medea.

Piper just waved the girl off. “Ignore her.” She was practically bouncing in her seat. “This is so exciting. I can't believe you're one of us, Jason.” A smirk crossed her lips. “But it totally explains why only Nico can charm you.”

“Now you don't have to sulk anymore, buddy,” grinned Percy, nudging Nico, who was glaring at his food. “He was really, really, really upset when he thought you died.” Percy frowned. “Did die... I guess? I'm confused.”

“What else is new?” Nico grumbled.

“Harsh.”

Annabeth finally shut her book and studied Jason as he ate. “How are you taking it? Well, you knew, but now you know about you.”

“Speaking of,” Leo spoke up, “I can't believe you guys kept that a secret from us.”

“Wait.” Jason frowned. When did that information get out? “Who told you?”

“We had to,” Nico muttered. He had barely touched his food. “After my... slip up, the coven demanded to know if anything else had been kept from them. Kronos already knew, since we talked about it when you two met, but I felt it best to just come clean.” Nico wouldn't meet his gaze. “They aren't mad at you, obviously, but all the Firsts are being dealt with.”

“How's that?”

Percy let out a groan and bit into his hamburger. Annabeth shook her head. “No magic until further notice.”

Jason frowned over at Nico, who shrugged. “I have permission to use magic in New Orleans, but not until then, and then I go back to being 'grounded' when we get back.” The brown-eyed boy's shoulders slumped. “Again, I'm sorry.”

“No worries, dude,” Percy smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. “We'll manage.”

After lunch, Jason walked Nico to his locker. They didn't talk much, at least not until they got there. “Are you sure you're okay?” Jason asked quietly.

“I'll live.” Nico let out a sigh as he exchanged his books. “We brought it on ourselves. And, I guess, I'm mostly to blame.”

“But it all worked out in the end.”

“True, but the adults are just upset.” Nico glanced at Jason. “What if you weren't a warlock? If they had found out then, they would have punished us even worse. And then there is no telling what they would have done to you.” Nico shut his locker. “I'm glad that wasn't the case.”

Jason smiled softly. “Is that your way of saying you're happy I'm not a dog, or some other animal?”

Nico smirked and tapped a finger to his lips. “I don't quite think you'd get off that easy.” He shrugged. “The adults can be very imaginative with their punishments.” He shouldered his backpack and leaned against his locker. “You never did answer Annabeth's question.”

For a moment, Jason was quiet. He glanced around them as several students shot them glares. “I think it'll take some getting used to.” The blond did his best to smile. “I get to hear about how I'm kicked off the team later.”

“Yeah,” Nico whispered. “Do you-” Nico shut his mouth. “Never mind.”

“What?”

“Nothing.” Nico took in a breath. “I was just going to see if you wanted to come over tonight, but I remembered you had plans.”

The heart in Jason's chest immediately started to beat faster, practically racing. “I could cancel.”

Nico smiled. “No, it's fine.” The boy brushed some hair out of his eyes. “You should enjoy it. At least Eros still wants to be your friend. I wouldn't expect much from anyone else.”

“Would you want me to come by later?”

Again, Nico smiled. “Nah. I'll be okay. Just going to be bored without magic.” He shrugged. “Not even lessons until I'm told otherwise.”

“Speaking of,” Jason began, “any word on the... thing?”

Quietly, Nico shook his head. He glanced over his shoulder before looking up at Jason. “Nothing. Dad did his best. Haven't found anything yet. He looked over the town. Nothing.” Nico let out a breath. Jason rubbed his arm with a weak smile. “They'll look more while we are gone. Maybe something will turn up.”

“How do you even track something like that?”

“Two souls.” Nico pulled Jason closer, which the blond did not object to, so they could talk better without being heard. “Nephilim aren't human, but they have something similar to a soul. An essence. But it would look exactly like a soul if I were to look at it. When someone is possessed by one, there is always a second soul signature in the person.” Nico shook his head. “But there's nothing. Maybe it moved on, or maybe it didn't even come into our world after I sent it away. I don't know.”

Jason reached out and briefly squeezed Nico's hand. “I'm sure something will turn up. Or maybe, like you said, it's nothing.”

“Yeah,” Nico whispered. “Well, I better get to class.”

Jason leaned in and hugged the boy. Nico tensed up and the blond immediately pulled back. “I'm sorry. Should I not have?”

“N-No, it's fine. Just not used to it.” There was a blush on Nico's cheek. “It was fine, really.” His face turned even more red. “I better be going.”

Jason smiled as Nico scurried off to class. He took in a deep breath and headed for his next class. This was going to take some getting used to. His dream boy was right there in front of him, but they needed to take it slow. It felt like they knew each other forever, which was rather confusing. Technically, they had known each other for years, but under very odd circumstances. And he wanted Nico to be comfortable, so Jason needed to make sure that he did not step over any boundaries.

On the way to his next class, Jason decided to stop by the office. He quietly slipped inside and shut the door behind him. Mellie was typing away at her desk. “I'll be with you in just a second,” she said, probably not even realizing it was Jason.

“Take your time.”

She nearly jumped out of her seat at the sound of Jason's voice. He smiled at that. “Oh, Jason, goodness you startled me.” She took her glasses off and let them hang around her neck. “Is everything all right?” Mellie walked over to the counter and lowered her voice. “Are you mad at me?”

Jason scrunched his lips. “Maybe a little frustrated.” He let out a breath. “I do have to wonder something.”

“What's that?”

“You knew my aunt was a witch, didn't you?”

Mellie blinked at him. “I-”

“Because, it would only make sense, if you know the coven here. Do they know that you know about her? Or knew about her? Were you... spying on one of them?”

Mellie let out a sigh and motioned for Jason to come over to her desk. “Well, obviously, I'm not like the rest of you. I knew Lupa first, back in my younger days when I went on a road trip. We stayed in touch. She convinced me to live out west for a time, but I wanted to come home.” The woman sat down behind her desk again. “I didn't know about the others here, not until a few years ago. Well, it's been a good twenty years now, but you get my point.” Mellie wiped her glasses on her blouse. “But, to answer your question, no. I never told them that I knew Lupa. I didn't know they all knew each other until your parents moved out west.”

“I remember that you came to visit every now and then.”

“Your aunt and I stayed good friends.” Mellie cleared her voice. “Then, one day, Lupa calls me up and asks me to watch you for a short time. Until you found your family.”

Jason frowned. “You agreed to put an untrained warlock up in your home? That seems kind of dangerous.”

Mellie's lips tilted down. “I was a little nervous, you not being trained and all. Not even with the knowledge of what you were. But you did have the bindings in place. Lupa assured me that I'd have several months.” She smiled up at Jason as she put her glasses back on. “But you found them on your own, with no help from me. I did inform your aunt of how that was going. You found them on your very first day. Well, not your family, but the coven. Then you found Nico.”

“Did you know about the curse?” Jason asked.

“Your parents mentioned it,” Mellie whispered. “Your aunt reminded me about it. I knew about Nico. I knew from the beginning what would happen. The moment you two would lay eyes on each other.” She smiled. “I may not know a lot about magic, but I do know that I hope you find a way to break that curse. I've known Nico a long time. The both of you deserve to be happy without a curse getting in the way.”

“If we still like each other after it's broken,” Jason mumbled.

“What was that?”

The blond let out a sigh. “It's just that... what if we only feel this way because of the curse?”

Mellie patted Jason on the arm. “Like I said, I don't know much about magic. I can't guarantee you anything, but it's better than the alternative.” She let out a long sigh. “I knew both of your grandfathers. I found out about the coven here right before they wiped everyone's memories. For whatever reason, they allowed me to keep my memories. I saw what this curse did to your grandparents. Perhaps not as close as everyone in the coven, but I did speak to them both on occasion. It tore them apart. Until they were miserable even being around each other, but didn't want to be apart.”

Jason took in a breath and glanced at the clock. “I better get to class. Thanks for talking to me.” As he headed for the door, Jason stopped. “You knew Tartarus? My grandfather said some odd things about him, about what he did, and I just ask because I'm worried about Nico.”

Mellie did not answer for a moment. She had a grave look on her face. “Keep an eye on him.” She frowned and went back to typing. “Especially around your great-grandmother. Tartarus, even in his final days, could be mean and spiteful. Don't let the boy wander too far into the dark.”

Quietly nodding, Jason left the office. That had been a bit more than Jason had expected. Why had the coven let Mellie keep her memories? How close had they gotten to each other? Should he be worried about Nico? And what exactly did Tartarus do back in his time? Kronos, and now even Mellie, had hinted at some rather troubling things. Jason didn't want to lose Nico like his grandfather lost Tartarus.

\-------------------------------------

“No! You're going to tear it!” Demeter shrieked over Jason's shoulder.

The boy was very tense by this point. The woman was breathing down his neck nonstop. On the bright side, Jason was through with the rest of his lessons for the day. It was not going well. He couldn't do anything. At all. Not even make something float. Not even form a rain cloud. He was unable to get a lesson from Apollo, since the guy was off at college, but Artemis told Jason that it just meant that he would be enduring her brother the entire weekend. Not the best news.

Jason let out a groan. It seemed like such a simple task. All he had to do was pull up this special strain of mandrake. The problem was that the thing didn't want to budge. Jason thought a more aggressive approach would work, but Demeter chided him every time that he tried.

Finally, tired of her nagging, Jason ripped the thing up.

Jason's body instantly locked up as his ears were nearly deafened by a high-pitched ringing. The boy fell over like a tree being cut down in the forest, some drool coming out of his mouth. The mandrake root landed in front of his face, which only caused the ringing to get louder. Seriously? A magical plant that was capable of having a temper tantrum?

Demeter let out a sigh, like the noise didn't even bother her. Shaking her head, the woman picked up the root and put it back in the clay pot that it had been plucked from. Jason's body unlocked. He let out a breath and sat up.

“You have to coax it out, dear,” Demeter said calmly, patting her hair.

Jason nodded, feeling dizzy. Without warning, the boy fell backwards onto the ground.

Dinner was very quiet. Which was fine, because Jason was in no mood to talk. His lack of ability to do anything magical was very frustrating. He was usually good at things he tried. Like sports. Perhaps being kicked off the team had also not helped his mood. Kronos assured him it would just take some getting used to, but Jason was feeling impatient. It just made him angry at his parents again. If they had just told him, trained him, then this could have all been avoided.

When he was finally excused, Jason got ready to go out. Kronos said it was fine, as long as Jason didn't stay out too late. It was still a school night. Not to mention that Hades had ordered that he come over to their house tomorrow night, so he could do some real studies. At the witching hour. When was the witching hour? Three in the freaking morning! And Kronos was fine with it. But, apparently, Jason needed some extra lessons with Hades. Mostly to prepare him for the weekend.

When Jason arrived, the others were already there. He walked across the yard and knocked on the door. There was some noise inside, mostly chatter. Then the door finally opened and Eros smiled at him. The brunet was dressed similarly to the previous day, in a pair of shorts that hung loosely from his thin hips. Which amazed Jason, really, that it was still warm here. The temperature stayed moderate back in California, but it was still fairly warm around here.

“You made it!” Eros greeted him and stepped aside.

Kinzie and Lacy gave him some uncertain looks. Octavian just looked displeased by his presence. Eros, on the other hand, didn't seem to care at all. He just ignored the looks the others gave Jason and ushered the blond over to a couch.

Lacy caught herself staring and cleared her throat. “We were just about to pick a movie.”

Octavian pulled a bottle of wine from the table in front of him. “Got this from home. Thought it would make things easier.” He tossed Jason a look. “Although, maybe you prefer drinking blood now.”

“That's vampires,” Jason pointed out.

When Jason got the bottle, he declined. Octavian just shrugged and was about to pour the rest in his glass, but Eros snatched it from him. “Nobody offered me any.”

Octavian arched a brow. “Because... you don't drink?”

“Yeah, well, maybe I changed my mind.” Eros smiled and filled his glass. “Now that things are perfectly clear with the old man, I feel that I should try some new things.”

“Like kissing boys,” Kinzie muttered.

Eros shot her a look. “It was a good kiss.” The brunet lifted his glass and took a long drink. “Besides, I feel happy. I don't feel anxious to come home. No trouble at all.” A smirk slowly spread across his lips from behind the glass. “I feel... good. Adventurous.”

“Well, I'm happy for you, I guess,” Octavian replied with a raised brow. “Just don't turn into a drunk like your father.”

“You worry too much.” Eros smiled and stood to his feet. He grabbed a remote and turned on some music. “How about some dancing?”

“What about the movie?” Lacy pointed out.

Eros rolled his eyes. “That can wait. Let's have some fun.” He reached down and pulled Jason to his feet. “You want to have some fun, right?”

“Uh.” Jason glanced at the others, who slowly got up. “I guess.”

Eros happily bounced on his feet as he moved along with the music, smiling ever so brightly. He raised his arms above his head, which exposed some of his stomach, and ruffled his curls. The others started to dance around as well. Octavian twirled Kinzie, while Lacy awkwardly shifted. Which was basically what Jason was doing. He had gone to a few dances, but the blond usually ended up sitting at a table with the guys on his team and chatting the whole time. Slow dancing he could do, though.

Eros took his arms and shifted them back and forth, like they were sawing logs. “See, isn't this fun?”

“I guess,” Jason replied.

Eros just smiled and let go of Jason. As Eros spun around, he came to face a mirror. The brunet tilted his head to the side as he watched himself move. He smirked and pointed at his reflection, singing along to the music. At least he was having a good time. It was just... odd. Jason was just so used to the quiet Eros, and now the brunet was coming out of his shell, so to speak.

Jason started to let go a little, trying to relax with the music. It had been a long day, and it was nice to finally not care about what he was doing or what was happening. Jason just let go. He began jumping around and shouting the lyrics along with everyone else in the house. It was nice.

Perhaps they were a little too rambunctious, though.

With all their jumping, an angel holding a cross fell off the wall. “Whoops,” Eros laughed as he went to pick up the broken pieces from the floor. “Guess we got a little too carried away.”

“Didn't your mother love that thing?” Octavian asked.

Eros took in a breath as he stared down at the thing. “Yeah.” With a shrug, he walked over and dropped the pieces in the garbage. “Guess she'll have to get another. I'm sure she will understand.”

Lacy shook her head as she watched Eros return from the kitchen. “I don't know what you said to your parents, but can't complain if it works.”

The corner of Eros' mouth tilted up. “That's exactly how I look at it. Whatever methods get the job done.” Eros picked up his glass of wine and finished it off. “Now then... who is ready for movies and more dancing?”

Several hours later, everyone was exhausted and ready to leave. Jason stayed behind until everyone was gone. He got up from the couch and walked towards the door. Eros smiled at him as they stood in the doorway. “Thanks for having me over. It was fun.”

Eros chuckled. “No trouble. Maybe the others will realize you're still you. No different than before.” The brunet leaned against the door. “Doing anything this weekend? Maybe we could hangout. Go see a movie. You can bring Luke and Nico. Almost like a double date.”

Jason nearly choked. “Ah. I'm still working on that dating part with Nico.” He let out a breath. “Besides, I can't this weekend.”

Eros tilted his head to the side and arched a brow. “Oh? Big plans.” He smiled softly. “It's fine.”

“Yeah. Going out of town for the weekend. Nico's going to show me New Orleans.”

Eros bit down on his lip. “Cute.” He smirked and placed his hands behind his head. “New Orleans is a very interesting place. To die for, really. Lots of rich culture.”

“Yeah.” Jason glanced outside. “Shouldn't your parents be back? It's getting pretty late.”

Glancing outside as well, Eros shrugged. “I'm sure they'll turn up eventually.” He let out a breath and smiled. “Or, maybe, I just have them locked up in the basement. For fun.”

For a moment, the two of them just stood there and stared at each other. But then Eros laughed. Jason smiled and shook his head. “A sense of humor came with your new wardrobe, I see,” Jason replied.

Eros lightly punched his arm. “I've always been awesome. Always will be. I guess I'm just a little too unpredictable for you.” The brunet smirked as Jason stepped outside. “Drive safe, Jason. Have a safe trip this weekend. And I'll see you at school tomorrow.”

Jason nodded and waved as he headed back for his car. It took Jason a moment to dig out his keys. Eros shut the door and turned off the porch light. Jason sighed when he couldn't get his keys out of his pocket. He glanced down and fiddled with the set of keys. After unlocking the car, he looked up.

There was someone standing over his shoulder in the reflection of the window. Not just any face. His mother's face. He felt his blood run cold as he spun around.

Nobody was there.

It was quiet. The street was quiet, save for a dog barking far off in the distance. Jason's heart finally started beating again. He looked back at his window, but he was alone. Shaking off the odd feeling, Jason climbed into his car. He did, however, check his backseat twice before he started to drive. He even looked in his rearview mirror as he drove away.

It wasn't the first time he had dreamed of his mother, but it sure as hell was the first time Jason had seen her while he was awake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was mostly new content. The first half was from the old version, as it contained a lot of important information. But this point begins entirely new content for the story. Nobody can spoil what comes next. Well, two people know, but they're sworn to secrecy.
> 
> Also, I do remember having this confusion in the old version, so I will make it perfectly clear if any of you didn't understand what Kronos told Jason. Nico is not actually possessed by Tartarus. He isn't Tartarus reincarnated. Tartarus' soul and magic were put inside of Nico when he was born. But he shattered his soul. It just means that Nico may carry a few traits that Tartarus had. It's why his body suffers from the same thing Tartarus did, when nobody else in his family does. But don't think that Tartarus is just suddenly going to come back into a state of being inside of Nico on his own accord. It's impossible for him to do so. All of his magic belongs to Nico now. The only reason the shattered soul of Tartarus is even in there is because Nico would have died without it. It was trading a life for a life. I just don't want anyone thinking Tartarus is just going to suddenly take over Nico's body. Nico is himself and nothing more.
> 
> I also want to do better about reviews. You know I love getting them, and I love long and detailed reviews. I'm also always up for discussion on things that happen. I, obviously, won't give anything away. Which is why I don't always reply. Because I suck about not spoiling things at times. But I do want to do better about replying to reviews, so I will start working on that. And I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I will see you all in a month. Although, I may work on that Children of Loss spinoff in the meantime. Or one of my books. Not sure yet.


	16. Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep(I Offer My Soul for the Loa to Take)

With a sigh, Jason pointed, for the twentieth time, to the brochure he had printed off. “Okay, but what if we squeeze in a little time to-”

“No,” Nico deadpanned as he parked the car.

“But-”

“No.” Nico turned off the car and climbed out. “We are here on business, not sightseeing.”

Jason pouted. “But you said you'd show me around.”

“That was on Percy's birthday, when there weren't two major catastrophes going on.” Nico opened the trunk and pulled out a small bag that he had packed for the weekend. “There are more pressing matters at the moment, compared to seeing places in the French Quarter.”

They had left right after school. Well, technically, a little before that. Since Jason had been kicked off the team, Nico checked himself out early and the two headed for New Orleans. As the city was only an hour away from Aimes, they made it there a little after three. Nico had been very quiet on the drive. Which had pretty much how he had been all week. Most of the Firsts had seemed rather down without their powers. Nico had his back for the weekend, but the boy had yet to do anything with them. “Only for emergencies,” Hades had apparently told the brown-eyed boy that morning.

“Can we at least go by Cafe Du Monde for some beignets?” Jason begged as he grabbed his bag. “The brochure says it's one of the places tourists have to try when they visit.”

Nico snapped his fingers and the brochure went up in flames. “Oops,” the boy mumbled as he locked his car.

Jason's eyes went wide as he looked around them to see if anyone noticed, but nobody seemed to be paying them any attention. Just like home, the blond thought. The city was a nice getaway. It reminded him a little of home. The tall buildings and the palm trees, and the crowded streets. It made Jason a little homesick. Even the bad traffic made him miss San Francisco a little. Still, the company was good. He smiled as he followed Nico into the apartment building.

They were going to stay with Thalia while they were here. That was the good news. The bad news was that she shared an apartment with Apollo. Jason wasn't really looking forward to that part. Maybe that had something to do with Nico's mood. Or it could be that they had left Aimes for the weekend, when Nico still felt responsible for the nephilim. Maybe the coven would find it while they were gone. Jason had wanted to stay himself, but what good would he had really been? His lessons were going along okay, but the most Jason had really been able to do was make a small gust. He was doing better with potions under Demeter's tutoring, but his spells needed a lot of work.

The even better news was that the apartment was a three bedroom. Which, hopefully, meant that Nico and Jason could share a room. Jason smiled to himself the whole way up just thinking about it. A whole weekend of getting to be with Nico. Two nights of sleeping in the same bed.

Nico knocked on the door and turned to Jason. “We'll see about food. You can try some gumbo, I'm sure.” He let out a sigh. “And I'm sure you'll be able to see plenty of the French Quarter. We'll be going around Bourbon street.” He knocked again when nobody answered. “We'll head out for a bit after we get our things dropped off. I just want to get this visit over with.”

Jason tilted his head to the side. “You don't seem to like this Voodoo Queen very much.”

“No,” Nico replied, “I don't.”

“Who is she?”

“You'll see.”

The door swung open and there stood Thalia with a bright smile. “You two made it!” She grabbed the two of them and ushered them inside before shutting the door. She gave Nico a brief hug before she threw her arms around Jason and nearly suffocated him. “I knew you looked so familiar for some reason!”

It was nice seeing her again, knowing that she was his sister. But it was also strange. Strange like it was around Gaea's house. Jason wasn't really sure what to talk about. He had barely said two words to Gaea. The most they had said to each other was the night she had dropped all those books off. Kronos had been busy the past few nights, trying to figure out a way to find the nephilim.

“Yeah, nice to know I have a sister.” Jason was finally released from the hug. “I just... Why didn't our parents bring you with them when they left?”

There was a long silence after that. Thalia frowned and rubbed her arm. Maybe that was a touchy subject, Jason thought to himself. How old was Thalia anyways, since his family was supposed to be immortal? Was she still immortal since she was adopted by Artemis? It would only make sense that she was, right? Was immortality just something you could give up that easily?

“We can, um, talk about that later,” Thalia finally replied. She glanced at Nico. “You two probably want to get settled in.” Nico gave a nod. “Right this way.”

 

She opened up a door down the hall and motioned inside. Jason smirked. One bed. Good. “So this will be where Nico and I will be sleeping?”

Thalia arched a brow at her brother. “Not a chance. I know all about the curse, so don't think I'm sticking you two in a room together.”

Jason chuckled. “A little overprotective already, sis.”

“Who says I'm being overprotective of you?” She narrowed her eyes and ushered Nico back out in the hall. “I'm saving him from you.” Nico just chuckled.

Jason gave a pout. Couldn't Nico like agree to sleep in the bed with him? Why couldn't he put up a fight? A little help would be nice. “But-”

“This,” Thalia touched a spot on a wall, “will be where Nico is sleeping.”

“That's just a wall,” Jason pointed out.

Right as the words came out of his mouth, the wall hollowed out and a door appeared in its place. Smirking, Thalia opened it to reveal an entirely new room. “Here you go, Nico.” She motioned to the doorknob. “Feel free to lock it, if you feel your virtue is in danger.”

Nico smirked when he noticed Jason pouting. “I think I'll be okay.” The boy put his bag down on the newly created bed. “I'm guessing Apollo is not here?”

“Thankfully for the two of you.” Thalia placed her hands behind her head. “He's out with... you know who.” Nico frowned at that. “He'll be meeting up with us for dinner, though.”

“Who?” Jason asked.

“Nobody,” both Nico and Thalia replied.

Nico took in a deep breath and nodded. “Okay. We'll meet up with you for dinner. I need to go see an old friend of the family.”

Thalia gave him a sympathetic smile. “Good luck.” She gave a snort as the boy walked by. “Try not to burn the place down.”

“I'll make sure she's in it if I do.”

When they made it back inside, Nico elected not to take his car. Instead, as they were about to step outside, Nico took Jason by the hand and they disappeared. The blond felt a little woozy when they emerged in a deserted alleyway. Nico just shoved his hands into his pockets and headed down the cobblestone sidewalk.

“Aren't you afraid that someone will see you when you teleport somewhere?” Jason asked as he stared up at some of the buildings they were passing.

“Not really.” Nico didn't even bat an eye at the scenery. “It doesn't work probably how you think. It's not just that I picture a place. I can tell if the place I'm wanting to travel to is crowded, and I can find a quiet spot that won't be seen.” Nico stopped to wait at a light. “We won't need my car to get around while we are here. My magic is stronger here, so I won't get tired traveling around New Orleans.”

The city looked modern, but the structures were definitely older than back in California. The buildings were very French in design. Wrought iron balconies hung over the streets on most of the buildings. Especially the bars. Most of the electric wires above their heads were covered with beads.

Nico came to a stop across the street from a very old looking house. While most of the buildings here did have an old look and feel to them, this one stood out. Like it had stood for a very long time. When they crossed the street, Jason spotted a black circular sign that hung above the door. Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo.

Oh.

Wait, were they really going here to find the Voodoo Queen? Jason wasn't really sure where he expected to find her. He hadn't thought about it until they stood outside this building. A lot of tourists stood outside and made their way into the store.

Jason stopped Nico before they entered. “Wait, the Voodoo Queen isn't Marie Laveau, is it?”

Nico just blinked at him like the answer was obvious. “Yes.”

“She's still alive?” Jason hissed.

Nico glanced off to the side for a second. “We do live for quite a long time, Jason.” He took in a deep breath. “But she doesn't go by that name anymore. Not technically. Changed her surname.”

“Lovely,” Jason muttered as he followed Nico inside.

There were a lot of masks hanging from the walls and ceilings. It was rather cluttered. There was incense and candles. Some charms hung from the ceiling. A woman behind the desk watched the two of them as they entered. It made Jason rather uncomfortable, but Nico ignored the girl. The brown-eyed boy just headed for the back. They passed ritual backs and talking boards. There were more candles and mojo bags along the way. There was even a shrine to Marie with a bunch of “Do not touch” signs around it.

“Wait here,” Nico said before he slipped further in the back.

“Sir, can I help you?” It was the girl from the front. She stopped Nico before he could go anywhere.

“I'm here to see your boss.”

The girl frowned and glanced at Jason. “She is not in.”

Nico narrowed his gaze. “I don't believe you. She knew we were coming.”

“Well, I'm sorry you wasted your time coming all this way.”

Nico stared the girl down briefly before he shoved past her and continued towards the back. When the girl tried to stop him again, Nico flicked his wrist and several sugar skulls fell from the shelves and caused the girl to fall. Scrambling to her feet, the girl chased after Nico.

Jason was left alone to look around. He sighed and decided to do a little sightseeing. There were a lot of talismans and voodoo pins. Some of the masks freaked Jason out a little. Like they were watching him. He slowly made his way to the back, where he found more talking boards. He also found a woman behind a table, but she had her back to him. By the looks of it, she was gathering her things.

Jason read the sign in front of her table. She was a fortune teller. “Excuse me,” Jason said. “Could I get my fortune read?”

“Afraid I'm on a tight schedule, honey,” the woman waved him off in a deep Cajun accent. “Come back later. Someone else will be available.”

Jason glanced at the sign again. “But it says you're here until six.”

“Something came up. Run along now.”

Jason found Nico back in the other room, in front of the shrine. The boy narrowed his eyes at the portrait of the woman. There were definitely a lot of signs saying that it was bad luck to touch the alter. 

“No luck?” Jason asked.

Nico didn't reply. He just narrowed his eyes and knocked over a bowl with coins in it. Jason was going to assume that meant no.

\---------------------------------------

While they did not have any luck finding the Voodoo Queen, it was time for dinner. Jason and Nico were waiting outside of a local restaurant. Thalia was on her way, and Apollo was supposed to arrive eventually, though none of them really seemed that concerned about that fact. Nico was still frustrated, but Jason had no idea how to make the brown-eyed boy feel any better.

Jason watched the boy next to him, trying to come up with something to liven the mood. “Bourbon street sure smells...” The blond made a face as he actually took in a breath. “Like vomit and sewage.” Jason decided that was not a part of New Orleans he liked. “Why does it smell so bad around here?”

“Just Bourbon Street,” Nico muttered. He had not looked at Jason in over thirty minutes, and it was really starting to bother the blond. “At least it's not Mardi Gras.”

“Yeah, but then I could get us some beads,” Jason joked. Not even a smile from Nico. The blue-eyed boy let out a sigh and ruffled his hair. Nico just needed to relax. Everything would work itself out, Jason was sure of it. “Nico...”

“I'm fine.” At least he finally looked at Jason. “Just worried.”

“I'm sure the others can handle a nephilim.”

“You don't know that,” Nico whispered. He pulled his phone out for the fifth time in the past fifteen minutes. “Jason, a nephilim is basically what mortals like to call a demigod. They are lesser gods, if that brings things into perspective. In fact, the only witch or warlock they wanted to ever stay away from was Merlin himself.”

“Wait,” Jason blinked, “Merlin was real? He's not still alive, is he?”

Nico arched a brow at Jason. “That was like fifteen hundred years ago. Of course he's not still alive.”

“Just have to ask. My family lives forever. Wasn't sure if the same applied.” The blond reached out and rubbed Nico's back. “I'm sure they'll call if things go bad.”

“Unless the nephilim killed them all.”

Such a ray of sunshine. “Listen,” Jason asked, “speaking of the nephilim, can I ask you something?” Nico glanced at him briefly, too busy sending texts to Reyna, Luke, and Percy. “If the nephilim were still in Aimes...” Nico narrowed his eyes. “Do you think it might be possessing someone, like it was Mrs. Dodds?”

Nico shrugged. “It's the most likely possibility, but my father has swept the town.”

“What about Eros?”

“What about him?” Nico asked.

There was a casual shrug from Jason. “I don't know, he's just been acting different. Ever since we found him in the woods.” He frowned. “I was just wondering if...”

Nico briefly pursed his lips and then shook his head. “Like I said before, there would be two souls inside the body. Even I have looked at Eros. There's only one soul.” The brown-eyed boy went back to texting. “Don't worry about him, I'm sure he's just going through a phase. I know Luke isn't complaining.

Maybe, the blond thought to himself. Jason let out a breath as Thalia's car pulled up. Maybe she could help get Nico out of this... Fuck.

Not only did Thalia get out of the car, but so did Apollo and some other guy that looked around Jason's age. Nico's eyes turned cold as he watched the two guys approach with Thalia. The stranger was rather tall, with short brown hair and dark green eyes with bags underneath them. He was rather lanky, with a freckled face. Whoever he was, he seemed uneasy approaching Nico. Those green eyes studied the pale boy next to Jason with each step.

“Um, so Apollo decided to invite-” Thalia began, but Nico cut her off.

“Alabaster.” Nico had his arms crossed, his eyes deadly like a snake. It definitely seemed to work. The brunet was basically using Apollo as a human shield.

Alabaster took in a breath. “Apollo said-”

“He was hungry,” Apollo interrupted. “Didn't think you'd mind, Nico.”

A cold smile crept onto Nico's face. “Of course not.” His eyes blazed when he met Apollo's gaze. “Shall we get a table?”

After they were seated, Nico helped Jason find something to eat. When it came time to order, Jason ordered the gumbo. It was very quiet after the waiter left. Tense might have been the better word. Thalia opened and closed her mouth several times. Alabaster looked about uneasy as Jason felt. Nico was still seething, and Apollo was ignoring them all with a smirk on his face. The shit.

“So,” Alabaster finally began, “I see you're doing well.” His green eyes finally focused on Jason. “I don't believe we've met. You must be Jason. Apollo said you'd be coming with Nico.” He reached across the table.

When their hands touched, a small shock caused Alabaster to pull back. “Oh.” Jason stared down at his hand. “I'm still new to the whole magic thing.” Okay, so maybe he had felt a little jealous. “I'm Jason, Nico's... boyfriend.” Okay, maybe he didn't mean to say that either. Nico narrowed his eyes at him, and Thalia and Apollo nearly choked on their drinks.

“My brother doesn't know how to use his powers yet,” Thalia supplied, massaging her throat and staring intently at Jason.

“Brother?” Alabaster's eyes flickered to Nico, who did not meet his gaze. “Interesting. This wouldn't be-”

“Maybe he is.” Nico's voice was cold.

“Nico,” Alabaster sighed. “Look, I am sorry for what happened. You were clearly not all that interested.” He frowned when Nico tapped his fingers on the table. “I did make a mistake.”

Jason glanced between the two of them. “He mentioned me?”

“Quite a lot. While we were dating.” Alabaster forced a smile onto his face as he took a drink. “I guess I was hard to compare.” The young man lifted an eyebrow. “Now I see why.”

“So, Nico,” Thalia placed her hands on the table, “how did it go today?”

Nico just grunted. Jason sighed. “She was avoiding Nico,” the blond answered.

Apollo frowned. “The coven informed her that you'd be stopping by.”

Nico swirled his straw in his drink. “Maybe she's still sour with my father.”

“Why would she not be happy with your father?” Jason asked.

Everyone but Nico stared at Jason in confusion. Thalia's brow furrowed. “He did tell you who the Voodoo Queen was, right?” She asked. Jason nodded. “And...?”

“What?”

“Just...” Thalia shut her mouth. “What exactly did he tell you?”

“That she used to go by Marie Laveau, but she's changed her name. Like a lot of you do.” Everyone was still staring at him. “What?”

Apollo rolled his hand, like he was waiting for Jason to continue. “That's it? Nothing else?” He let out a sigh. “You didn't tell him-”

“I don't like talking about her,” Nico hissed. “Or to her. I didn't want to come. The coven made me.”

“Well you didn't leave us much choice,” Apollo sighed. “You were the ones that let a nephilim loose on Aimes.” Thalia elbowed the blond. “Ow! Well I wasn't lying!” He frowned and rubbed his ribs. “Do you know why she's the one you need to see?”

“I have a pretty good idea.” Nico glanced at Jason when he felt the blond staring. “There's a ritual the voodoo tribes can perform. It's why the nephilim said Jason needed to come.” Dark eyes glanced cautiously at Jason. “If you've seen it, the ritual will pull the memory out and let us get a look at who is behind this.”

“Couldn't the coven have just done the ritual?” Jason asked.

Nico let out a breath. “Maybe. I don't like the possibilities as to why it has to be her that we need to see.” The boy frowned as he went back to stirring his drink. Jason reached for the raven haired boy's hand under the table. Nico didn't pull away. “I just want to get his over with. We'll stop by the cemetery tomorrow.”

“What cemetery?”

“The one Marie Laveau was 'buried' at,” Thalia replied. She shrugged with a smirk. “I take it you're going to get some help?”

Nico's hands had turned to ice under Jason's touch. “If she wants to play games, let her.” Nico locked his jaw, his eyes dark. “There's no place she can hide from the dead.”

\----------------------------------

The next day, Jason stood with Nico outside of Saint Louis Cemetery. It was a bit different from the cemeteries Jason was used to seeing. The mausoleum's were old and worn, and ran for miles for as far as Jason could see. Tombs upon tombs, like a maze of the dead. In reality, it wasn't really that big, but standing in front of it gave the illusion that they were standing in front of an endless maze.

Jason pursed his lips and walked back over to where Nico was standing. “Why exactly are we here again?” He scratched his cheek and adjusted his glasses. “You said she wasn't really buried here.”

“She's not,” Nico said plainly. “We're not here for her. We came for the ghosts. They tend to gather here. And I can get the word put out to hunt for the Voodoo Queen.”

“How many are we talking exactly?”

Nico slipped into the cemetery, avoiding a tour group as it passed by. Jason ducked behind a mausoleum as he followed the other boy. “After Katrina hit, New Orleans became a city of death. It already was. The place has always had so much death.” Nico curved around two crypts. “It's so loud. Doesn't help that the dead musicians like to play their music just as much as the ones that are still alive.”

Nico came to a stop in front of an old, white tomb that had some chalk markings on it, as well as a lot of various items on the ground in front of it. There was a plaque on the side that stated it was the tomb of Marie Laveau. Honestly, if she was still alive, Jason had to wonder what was really in there. Maybe the woman had killed someone and used the body to make people to think she was dead.

“What if someone sees us,” Jason hissed.

Nico didn't answer. He pulled his arms inwards and up. His eyes turned black and the ground cracked around them. The sky darkened and thunder boomed. A heavy fog slowly swept through the cemetery. Jason let out a sigh as he turned back to Nico. Well, it only lasted for a second before he grew pale.

From every tomb, and even random places in the ground, ghostly figures climbed out and gathered around them. They just kept coming. “How many ghosts are you summoning exactly?” Jason whispered to Nico.

“You can see them?” Nico smirked, though his eyes were still black. Which did not make Jason feel any better about the situation. “Congratulations.”

“That doesn't answer my question.”

“Just the surrounding area.” Nico took in a deep breath and let his hands fall to his sides. His eyes turned back to their normal brown. “I guess you get your first look at necromancy.” Nico motioned to himself as he went to address the ghost army that had gathered around them. “I appreciate you all for coming.” He held a hand up when some moved closer. “That will be close enough, thank you.” Nico took in another breath. It was obvious that Nico did not want them touching him. Not that Jason could blame him, not after learning that their touch alone could leave Nico with bruises. “I need your help.”

“What is it you ask of us, master?”

“Uh...” Nico eyed them all funny. “I really don't like being addressed like that.”

“But you-” another began.

“Nope. I'm not Tartarus. We've been over this.” Nico let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Can we just move on?”

“Who is he?” A woman that looked like she had drowned asked, pointing to Jason.

Nico eyed the blond next to him briefly. “My boyfriend. According to him anyways.” The boy narrowed his eyes when Jason went to speak. “Don't think I forgot about what you said last night, idiot.” Nico shook his head and turned back to the ghosts. “Look, I just need a favor. You're not enslaved to me. We need to get past that. I need all of you to find Marie Laveau for me.”

“She does not wish to be found.”

“Well that's just too bad,” Nico replied with a smile. “I have important business with her.” He patted Jason on the back. “She needs to help me get some information from inside my friend's head here.” The boy motioned to all the ghosts. “So go scurry along and find her. Tell others. Every spirit in New Orleans needs to be on the lookout. I'll order it if I absolutely have to, but I would prefer not to do that. And I don't think any of you really want that either.” The ghosts just looked at each other. “Well you'd have cared more if you were still alive and not wandering spirits. You all really need to move on anyways.”

The ghosts just stood there. “They aren't moving,” Jason whispered.

Nico let out a sigh and snapped his fingers. The ghosts all turned to wisps and scattered across the sky. “They'll find me when they have something to report.”

Jason rubbed his palms on his pants. “So, about last night...” He cringed when Nico turned to look at him. “I didn't mean to say that. It just slipped out.”

A smirk spread across Nico's lips. “Seems like you were jealous.” He chuckled. “Not sure why. Things clearly didn't work out with me and Alabaster.” He pursed his lips and rubbed his arm. “Just not ready to date just yet. Sorry. But thank you... for being patient. I know I'm a little distant right now.”

“You're worried. I understand.”

“If we can find her by tonight, maybe we'll have some time for an actual date.”

Jason perked up at that. A date? An actual date? With Nico? Maybe they could do it without Thalia or Apollo ruining it. Apollo, obviously, managed to ruin dinner last night. Then Thalia shut her own brother down later that night by making Nico do a movie marathon with her. Even more frustrating, Nico didn't object. This was not exactly the weekend Jason had dreamed it would be. There had been a lot more kissing and cuddling in his dreams.

Jason waited outside the cemetery while Nico made sure the ground didn't look like it had been ripped open. The blond was so excited that he was practically bouncing on his heels. Could anyone really blame him? He was finally in a more intimate setting with the guy he had been crushing on, even before they had met, and he was being blocked at every turn. Things had been more in his favor when he still thought he was a mortal and living with Mellie.

“You look mighty happy there, sonny.”

Jason wheeled around when he heard the voice. An older man with wrinkled dark skin sat in a rocking chair. He had on an old straw hat and was busy smoking a pipe. In his other hand was a cup that rattled with change.

“Oh. I just...” Jason scratched his head. Should he give the guy some money? The man looked like he hadn't eaten in a while. His clothes sure looked worn. “Just thinking.”

“Or searching.” The man smiled when Jason looked at him curiously. “Found what you was looking for, only to find more questions. Another crossroads. Like pieces of a puzzle.”

Okay, so maybe the man was a little messed up in the head.

The man motioned behind Jason. “Should hold your hands out.”

“So, Jason, I thought-” Nico yelped as he tripped over a hole in the sidewalk.

Thinking fast, Jason reached out and caught the boy before he could hit the ground. He blinked, thinking back to what the man had just said. “Hey, thanks, mist-” His mouth hung open a little when he didn't see anyone around them. Not even a rocking chair. “Um...”

“Were you talking to someone?” Nico blinked at the blond as he straightened himself. “You look like you've seen a ghost. Well... I guess you did, but you get my point.” He tilted his head to the side. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Jason whispered. He gave Nico's back a little push. “Let's just get out of here.”

 

“You should really think about this for a minute.”

Nico ignored Jason as he marched towards the old church that lay on the outskirts of New Orleans. “I have thought about it.” He looked angry. Very angry. And irritated. “She wants to ignore me, so I'll pay her a visit in the one place she thinks I won't come looking for her.”

They had received word from the spirits that the Voodoo Queen was on her way to a Saturday night revival. Jason found it a little odd, since the woman that led the voodoo tribes around here was attending a Christian church. He tried to calm Nico down on the way, though, he really did. But Nico was rather agitated. Jason really wanted to know what Nico's deal with this woman was.

“What if there are mortals in there?”

“Then I guess she should have thought about that.”

Jason grabbed the raven haired boy by the arm. “Nico!”

“Relax, there's none in there. Well, there are mortals, but they know about magic.” He shrugged. “Voodoo mainly. The point is that I wouldn't be so reckless.” Nico shrugged Jason's hand off.

With the flick of his hand, the doors flew open and slammed against the walls. The church choir fell silent and everyone turned to look at them. Nico slowly walked in, touching each pew that he passed. Jason quietly followed after the boy, apologizing to each row of people. Finally, Nico stopped in front of one row and took in a deep breath.

“I don't like to be stood up for appointments, Marie,” he said coldly.

A woman in a small hat stood up. She folded her fan and stuck it in her purse. “So you come barging in during my church service?” Jason knew that voice. It was the fortune teller from the day before. “Pretty obvious you got your grandfather's lack of respect.” Her body shimmered and she was suddenly standing in front of Nico. She held a hand up to get everyone's attention. “I do apologize.”

“Oh shit,” Jason breathed out. Both Nico and the woman looked at him.

“No cursing in the house of the Lord.”

Yesterday was not the only place Jason knew this woman from. That face. He knew it. From his dreams. Why was he even surprised anymore? “You're Marie!”

“The Voodoo Queen,” she said in a mocking tone. She smirked and pointed a long fingernail at Jason. “You're Zeus' boy. Got your mother's hair.”

Jason grabbed Nico's shirt. “You told me Hazel's mother was dead.”

Marie laughed, tossing her head back. “Did he now? Honey child, many people have tried, but I assure you that I still live and breathe.”

Nico glared at the woman. “She might as well be dead.” The brown-eyed boy pulled away from Jason. “You cost my uncle his soul, abandoned your own daughter.”

“Wrong!” Marie's voice boomed. “Your father took my child away from me!”

“For good reason.”

Marie looked around the church. “Let us take this outside.” Without so much as moving a muscle, the three of them were suddenly standing outside the church. “How dare you, Nico di Angelo, come speak to me like this on my own ground. After all I did for you and your family!”

“You mean your little mark?” Nico hissed, rubbing at his wrist. “Gone. I'm sure that's another reason my father wanted me to come. Even though he knows how much I detest you.”

“You best watch your mouth, boy.” Marie held up a finger. “How was I to know if you were followed or not?”

“Followed?” Jason asked. He arched a brow and glanced over his shoulder. “Who would follow us?”

The woman looked at him like he was stupid, placing a hand on her hip and arching a brow. “Don't think your little stunt has escaped my ears.” She pointed a finger at both of them. “Letting a nephilim escape into our world.” She smacked Nico upside the head. “I know you were raised smarter than that.” The boy glared at her as he rubbed his head. “You know the loa do not trust the nephilim. I do not need one of those things coming here.”

Jason's brow furrowed. “Loa?”

“Voodoo gods,” Nico explained. Marie narrowed her eyes. “Gods is a vague way of describing them.”

“Which reminds me,” Jason interrupted. “Why were you at church? You're the leader of the voodoo tribes, right?”

Marie smirked. “We still believe in a creator, Jason Grace.” She shrugged. “Whether it be the Christian god or something else is not my place to say. I do find the services to be moving and a good way to get perspective.” She removed her hat and straightened her hair. “Now then, I take it you're here for my help in seeing who is behind your... disturbances we will call them?” Nico gave a nod. Marie looked Jason up and down before nodding. “We'll need a few drops of his blood.”

“Why does everything you guys do involve blood?” Jason exclaimed. Both Nico and Marie laughed.

Much later that night, Jason found himself back in the cemetery. Oddly enough, they were standing in front of Marie's tomb, while she was there with them. Nico stood nearby with his arms crossed, watching carefully as Marie instructed some people on how to set up the ritual she was going to perform. She had Jason drink some funky potion that tasted like raw onions mixed with the smell of cat litter.

Nico, unfortunately, held a ceremonial knife that Marie had given him to hold for the time being. It was very... sharp. Could he just take part in a ritual that didn't involve blood? At least he hadn't given any the last time. Although, that was kind of the problem, wasn't it?

“There aren't any... chickens? No chopping the head off of a goat?” Jason asked quietly.

Nico smiled up at him. “You watch too much TV and movies.” He shrugged. “Well, it's not completely untrue. Just not this one.” The boy pinched his fingers on the blade and slide them towards the tip. “Just as a warning, it is more than a prick. We'll have to slice your palm.”

Jason slid his hands into his pockets. “Will you do it?”

Nico arched a brow at him. “You want me to be the one to make you bleed?”

“I just... would rather it be you.” Jason smiled at the boy. Nico scrunched his lips together. “I trust you.”

There was a nod from Nico. “Of course.”

It was then that Marie came up to them. “I hate to interrupt your intimate moment...” Nico glared at the woman. “But it's time.” She motioned for Jason to enter a circle of candles with sticks used to connect each of them. Once Jason was there, Marie motioned to the blond. “No moving or speaking until I've pulled the memory from you. Get out of the circle when I tell you to.”

Jason gave a nod and the woman closed her eyes, spreading her arms wide. Several of the men that Marie had brought out there began to beat on some drums. Nico walked over and sliced Jason hand and collected the blood in a wooden bowl before he took it to Marie. The Voodoo Queen mixed in some leaves and herbs while chanting. A woman came over and lit a fire so that Marie could chant over it with the concoction of Jason's blood.

The men began to beat harder on the drums and began chanting as well. Nico stood behind Marie, watching Jason intently. Honestly, Jason felt nervous. Maybe a little terrified. He wasn't sure why exactly, but he was. This was all new to him.

Marie took a stick that had feathers bound at the end and began mixing the blood. She held the bowl up to the sky while chanting. She dabbed the feathered stick and flung some of the blood in the fire, which became a huge pyre. Women were dancing around the candles, clicking their tongues and clapping their hands together to the rhythm of the drums.

Jason's eyes widened as fire rose and swirled up into the sky. It dove back down and engulfed all of the candles in pillars of fire. “Now, Jason!” Marie shouted.

Not wasting any time, Jason leapt from the circle as the fire charred the ground in a pentagram. Smoke was rising from the ground. The drumming and chanting had all stopped. Marie waved a hand as she stepped forward and the smoke began to thicken. Nico and her stood close to the edge of the circle, where Jason joined them. Nico looked up at the blond and held out his hand. Jason smiled and gladly accepted it.

When Jason looked back at the circle, he was staring at a smokey vision of the church he had visited the other day with Mellie. In fact, he was staring at himself. The Jason in the smoke was staring towards stairs that led up. It was when Jason went to the sanctuary and found Eros. Marie clenched her hand together and the scene froze.

“There,” Nico said, pointing with his free hand.

“I see it,” Marie replied.

Jason squinted. What did they see? “I don't see anything.”

Marie shifted the blond's face. “There.”

Blue eyes widened as he realized that a spot he thought had been smoke was not just smoke. It was a hand. A pale hand that reached out of the darkness of stairs that led into the church basement. He thought he had seen something that day. He thought he saw a woman.

And there was a woman. Further in the darkness stood a hooded woman, frozen in the scene as she reached out for Jason. Could this have also been the figure he saw in the coven cemetery? Why was this woman reaching out to Jason?

The blond squinted and let go of Nico's hand, taking a step forward. He leaned forward to get a look at the woman's face. His heart stopped. It couldn't be. It was impossible. She was dead.

But there she was.

His mother's face. Beryl Grace. She was reaching out for him, looking as alive as she had before she had been gunned down. “Mom?” Jason whispered as he reached out.

“Jason, don't!” Nico shouted, but it was too late.

Jason's hand had crossed the candle line.

Dark tendrils slowly slithered out of Beryl's body. Dark, wild and messy hair fell from the blonde bun that Jason's mother always kept her hair in. Her eyes grew hollow and her skin pale. Beryl's form was still there, but it was like another being was there as well, hidden inside Jason's mother.

“Oh, brother,” came a haunting voice. The shadowy figure inside Beryl actually moved. It turned to look in the direction of Marie, Jason, and Nico. “Oh, brother, how I've missed you.” The dark tendrils spread from the ghostly figure's body, but the circle kept them bound inside.

“May the loa protect us,” Marie whispered in shock. “It can't be.”

The figure began reaching out. The tendrils tore a hole through the barrier. A eerie smile crossed the woman's lips. But instead of reaching for Jason, she tried to touch Nico. “It's time to come back to me, brother.” One of the tendrils shot into Nico and the boy's eyes turned black. “Your darling sister has come home for you.” She smiled as lightning flashed above them. “Now we can rule over a new world. Our world.”

“No!” Jason shouted as he went to protect Nico.

“Jason, wait!” Marie tried to grab him.

Jason used his body to break the connection of the tendril and Nico. The woman momentarily drew back. “Jason?” Nico asked in a daze. The boy's eyes went wide. “Jason, move! Marie, close it now!”

Marie held up her hands and began to chant. The ghostly figure did not wait. Her hand shot out and went to grab Nico, but Jason intercepted. The blond yelled in pain as he was dragged across the line of candles. It was like his bones, his very soul, was on fire. The last thing he heard before he was sucked inside a vortex was Nico yelling his name.

Taking a shaky breath, Jason stood up. Everything was gray. Well, everything except him and the other person there. He half expected to see his mother standing before him, but it wasn't. But he still knew who it was. He was getting real tired of people from his dreams popping into his life.

Jason gulped as he looked down at his hands. He felt cold, like Nico's skin did a lot of the time. It was like something was pulling on his soul. He wasn't supposed to be here. Something was wrong with this place. It was like the very air was trying to suffocate him. Like no living thing should exist here.

And then it hit Jason. He wasn't supposed to be here. He was beyond the veil, where living things were not supposed to be. Not only that, but his present company was not exactly in his favor. Especially not with the way she glared at him with those black eyes that reminded Jason of how Nico's got sometimes. And why wouldn't they look similar?

Jason was standing in front Nico's great aunt. Circe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See? The wait wasn't that bad. Also, I really tried to reply to all the reviews I got, but I think I got distracted the past week or two. But I had a good reason. HimekoUchia and CarleeAdison came to visit me last weekend. Which I did state in my author note last chapter. It was a lot of fun. Not as awkward as any of us thought it would be. It was rather like we spent time together in person on a regular basis. But we spent a lot of time talking about our individual books or fics. And they actually know how this fic is going to play out now lol. With a few parts that still need to be touched on, but that's not until the end. It was a lot of fun, though. I took them for a hike. Which, if you follow me on tumblr, you probably saw pictures of that day.
> 
> But I hope this chapter did not disappoint. It's the first full new chapter for this story that I've written since bringing it back from the grave. I just hope I managed capturing the right tone for the chapter. And I felt pretty happy with the ending. Next chapter will be good. It'll also take place in New Orleans, and end with them going back home. But I can't guarantee another cliffhanger. In fact, you should probably expect it.
> 
> Also, a lot of people think Eros' parents are dead. Well you will get that answer around 18 or 19. I could say more, but I am evil and I like to listen to all the theories regarding his character.
> 
> A few other notes. There is some really cool art that was drawn for me by HimekoUchia, but it's for something revealed later in the story and I can't spoil it. But she will post it on tumblr when the time comes and I will be reblogging that. Also on the note of my tumblr, the three of us came up with some great little notes that will be shared around the same time that the art is published. At least I'm thinking about it, because we all found it very amusing. But please tell me what you thought of the chapter. I hope you all liked the new chapter. Does it still feel like the same story? I think that was one concern, since I hadn't actually written anything completely new for so long in this little universe. I was concerned that the tone of the story and the style might have been missing. So let me know. Who saw Hazel's mom being both the Voodoo Queen and Marie Leveau? Also, for any of you that live in New Orleans or really like voodoo, I hope I did okay with what I wrote.


	17. All Hell Breaks Loose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's the new chapter. Nobody probably noticed, but I did change the rating from T to M. And, well, one of the reasons is in this chapter. I really didn't plan on it happening this early, I really didn't. But it did. I meant to ask what you guys thought about having smut in this fic, but I didn't get the chance. Then I thought about it, reminded myself I was going to publish this into a book, and compromised. So it's not really smut, but they do have sex. It's like glossing over it in like 4 paragraphs. Because, while I don't mind putting it out there that they obviously had sex when I publish the story as a book, I refuse to be the next Fifty Shades of Grey writer and publish full on sex.
> 
> I just wanted to put this warning at the beginning of the chapter. It really isn't that graphic, though. Not like Children of Loss, which went into great detail about what went on during sex.

Maybe it ran in Nico's family to pull off the angry look so well, because Circe sure looked angry with Jason. Since Circe also did not look like the ghosts Jason saw at the cemetery, the blond could only assume that it had to do with their current location. Jason glanced behind him, hoping to see some kind of exit from this place, but there was none. Maybe stepping between Circe and Nico had not been the best idea. He couldn't have let her take Nico, though.

Then again, maybe Nico would have stood a better chance against Circe.

“You,” Circe seethed. “How dare you get in the way of what I was after!”

Circe took a step forward and Jason stepped backwards, raising a hand in front of him in defense. Mist spread through the air, blinding the area. Not wasting the opportunity, Jason slipped behind a large tombstone. He held his breath as Circe slowly passed him by.

“You can not hide from me, Jason Grace,” Circe called out. She tore her hand through the air. Corpse hands rose from the ground and grabbed at anything they could. Including Jason's ankles. The blond let out a yelp. “Come out, child, and I promise not to harm you.”

Right, like Jason was going to believe that. She'd probably flay his flesh from his bones. Jason covered his mouth and attempted to pry the hand off him. Panic overtook him as he heard Circe getting closer. He was not sure exactly how he did it, but his body slowly began to rise off the grand. The hand broke off from the arm and Jason rose above all the tombstones.

Not such a good thing. “There you are,” Circe hissed. She barred her teeth at him and reached out into the air. Dark tendrils shot forth and ripped Jason from the air, slamming him into the ground. “How fitting that Kronos' grandson should die now by my hand, after all he put me through.”

Jason groaned and pushed himself up. “You're going to kill me, simply because my grandfather was in love with your brother?” Jason glared at the woman. “I didn't see you too angry with Nico back there.” He frowned. “Or Tartarus, or whoever you are trying to reach.”

“I want my brother. Nico is simply a vessel, and I will remove my brother from it one way or another.” Circe ripped her arm back and the tendrils tugged Jason along the ground. “Perhaps if I kill you, it will be enough to send sweet Nico over the edge.”

Circe held out a hand and a purple aura that was so dark that it could have been black shot from her palm. Jason's eyes went wide as he raised his hands to shield himself. There was a crackle in the air and then Jason could see blue from behind his eyelids.

The blond slowly opened his eyes to see lightning shooting from his palms, holding back the dark magic that Circe had thrown at him. Circe growled and stopped her magic, casting Jason's magic to the side with ease before it hit her. 

Falling on his ass, Jason started to pant. He had never used magic before, at least not like this. Any that he had done in the past had all been by accident, and he was not sure how to focus his energy properly into each use. Because that sure had taken a lot out of him. It felt like he had just got done running a marathon.

“Why were you using my mother to follow me?” Jason panted, wiping sweat from his forehead.

Circe narrowed her eyes as she took a few steps, slowly circling Jason. The blond followed her every move. “I needed a vessel. A portal into the mortal world. Otherwise I would have just been a simple ghost.” Circe scowled. “And I am so much more than a simple ghost. A dying body is the only way for a ghost to possess someone. We aren't so fortunate like nephilim, who jump from body to body at their own leisure and amusement.”

“But why my mother?” Jason growled. He was still angry about that. He had thought he might have been seeing his mother's ghost or something, and now he learned that it was not her at all. Circe had been using his mother, like some parasite. “Why not anyone else?”

Circe smirked at Jason's outburst. “Believe me, I would have preferred someone else.” She shrugged and put her hands together. “I tried Maria. Had her killed too, as a matter of fact.”

“What?” Rage was now burning in Jason. She had caused the death of Nico's mother?

“She had an affinity for death magic. I would have been better off with a body like that.” Circe shook her head. “But it wouldn't have worked. I thought better of it after I influenced some of the townsfolk to go burn her. Hades would have known, and little Nico was just coming into his full power at the time. I couldn't risk it.” A cold grin spread across her lips. “Then I remembered your family, how they were so isolated from the rest of the coven. It was perfect. So they had to die.” Circe tilted her head to the side as she smiled at Jason. “And it left you so, so vulnerable, little warlock. Didn't even know what you were. And now here you are, playing in a world you don't even understand.”

Jason pushed himself to his feet. “I don't need to understand it to know I will kill you for that!” Lightning sparked from Jason's fingertips. “You took my parents away from me. You hurt Nico.” Letting out a yell, Jason pulled his arm back and let loose a ball of lightning.

Circe laughed and knocked it aside with her hand. “Little warlock, you need more practice if you are going to challenge me.” A shadow hand came out of nowhere and grabbed Jason by the throat. “I have made a lot of deals to get where I am. I sold my very soul.”

Jason tried his best to work himself from the grasp of the giant hand, but to no avail. “You made a deal with a nephilim?”

“Don't be silly. I made my deals with people that make even the nephilim cower in fear.” Circe flicked her wrist and the hand sent Jason sailing into a dead tree. She cackled as she walked over and stood over Jason. “I would love to kill you, really I would. I'm sure I could pull Nico into the dark with that, but I have a bigger picture to look out for.” Crouching down, Circe took a firm grasp of Jason's jaw. “I need you, just as I need him. And another. You are all part of something that my business partners and I have been waiting a long time for.” She stood up again and put her foot in the center of Jason's chest. “And I will stop at nothing to see that goal come to fruition.”

Jason glared up at the woman. “Then I guess I have nothing to worry about, if you can't kill me.”

That was not the right thing to say. Circe's eyes lit up like it was Christmas. “Oh, there are so many more things worse than death, dear Jason.” She raised her hand above her head and a dark ball formed in her hand. “Let me show you.”

Right before she could hurl it at Jason, the ground cracked and everything seemed to grow darker. A dark void appeared behind them. Something inside of Jason tugged him towards it. Like he was being called back. Circe's eyes went black and she cast Jason aside to face the portal.

From inside the dark abyss came Nico. The boy jumped out and immediately scanned the area. He seemed momentarily to relax upon seeing Jason alive before he locked eyes with Circe. The woman tilted her head to the side and smirked. “So good to finally meet, Nico dear.”

“Do not speak to me,” Nico practically spat out. “I will shatter your soul and scatter it into the nether if you do not step aside and let him go.”

“Such big talk for such a child.” Circe flung her hand and sent Nico sailing into a broken column. “Too afraid to even use your real power. You're no match for me in this condition.” She took a step forward. “You're a disgrace to my brother's legacy. All that he accomplished, and now to see someone so sad as you to wield his magic.”

“It's not wasted,” Nico shot back and slammed a fist down on the ground. Green fire shot from the ground and engulfed Circe inside. “You will bend to my will, like the ghost you are.”

The fire dissipated and Circe shook her head. “I think not.” The shadow hand appeared again and slammed Nico into the ground. When he tried to get up, the hand slammed his head back down. “All I have to do is keep you here long enough. Can't stay here fully too long, now can you? Not with your soul split between this plane and the plane of the living. You'll be trapped here, with no way back for you or Jason.”

“Nico,” Jason called out, trying to stand up. The tombstone above him tumbled over onto him and ensnared him.

The shadowy hand lifted Nico up and tossed him across the graveyard. Circe lifted a hand and out came a tendril. It shot out and pierced Nico through his center. The boy barred his teeth and ripped it out. His eyes were engulfed in black as he stood to his feet again.

Circe let out a sigh. “I am a ghost, Nico. You are in my domain.” With the flick of her hand, Nico went flying into a tree. The bark cracked as it wound its branches around Nico. “I am in control of everything around here. I am a necromancer, just like you, but I am also one that is dead.” The branches closed tighter around Nico, causing him to scream. “Learn to pick your fights, nephew.”

Circe pulled back her hand and ripped Nico from the tree. The boy slid across the ground, his face down in the dirt. Circe kicked him to roll Nico onto his back. She reached down and held out her hand. From Nico's mouth came a white wisp. The boy let out a groan.

“You grow weaker now. Can you feel your energy slipping away?” She planted the heel of her foot into Nico's chest. “Soon you won't be able to fight at all. If I didn't need you alive, I wouldn't bother just draining your energy. You would be dead. Both of you. I don't need you alive to bring back my brother, just your body.”

Nico held out a shaky hand towards Circe. Her hands locked up at her sides, but the boy was too weak to keep the spell going. Nico collapsed and Circe laughed. She kicked him onto his side again before turning her back to him. She then turned her sights back to Jason.

“Now that the interruption is out of the way, where were we?”

Circe froze. So did Jason. There was a shudder all across the area. Like a ripple in the water. Glowing tethers shot out of everywhere. Every grave, from the sky, the ground, even from miles away. Circe herself even found a tether coming from herself. Turning back around, she followed the trail. It led back to Nico.

Darkness gathered around the boy, who lay still on the ground. His veins turned black under his skin and he finally moved to push himself up. Inside the dark abyss that were Nico's eyes, were two red irises. Nico, however, moved like a marionette.

A large pulse expelled from Nico's body, cracking the ground as it went. Circe narrowed her eyes, but did not budge. She lifted a hand and fired a dark ball of magic. It hit Nico square in the chest and simply sank inside him. His body crackled with a purple lightning. Those red eyes finally connected with Circe and she went sailing through several tombstones. Dark tendrils shot out and ripped her back to Nico.

The boy shot out a hand to grab her as she reached him. “No, witch, this is my domain,” Nico replied darkly.

Circe was put to her knees and Nico grabbed her by the forehead. Black fire radiated off Nico's hands and Circe screamed. Jason gulped as he laid there and watched the whole thing. Circe's eyes were wide with fear, and inside them Jason could see exactly what she was being made to see. Her death. Over and over again. Circe's body dropping and her neck snapping. It was in a loop. The magic was so strong that the pain radiated off of Circe's body and Jason himself could tell that she felt it every time that she died.

The ground roared and tore into the sky, taking Nico with it. The boy lifted a hand and it all toppled on top of Circe, like water. When it settled, Nico was standing over Circe and everything looked normal. Circe growled and tried to claw Nico, but the boy lowered his hand and the ground sank below Circe. Holding his hand back, Nico gathered dark energy into a ball before he hurled it into the pit, which erupted hellfire.

As Circe managed to climb out of the pit, Nico lifted himself into the air. His eyes blazed with a black fire and dark orbs of energy rotated around him. “I am stronger here, even more than you,” Nico taunted her in a grave voice. “It is mine to shape. Only the gods themselves could strike me down here.” Circe created a ball of energy in her hand. Nico snuffed it out without even blinking an eye. “I am going to make sure you never bother anyone again. My grandfather should have never brought you back, and now I plan to undo what he did.”

Nico flung the three energy balls at Circe and blasted her into the ground. She lay there, moaning and writhing in pain. Clutching her head, like something was eating her brains. Nico slowly descended and grabbed Circe. He lifted her up to face him.

Circe manged to force a smile onto her face. “I knew you'd come back to me, brother.”

Nico grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up. “I am not your brother. I am Nico di Angelo.” Ghosts slowly appeared in masses around them. They all came closer to Nico and Circe, placing their hands on the woman. Nico's eyes blazed.

“Get off me,” Circe screamed as each ghost grabbed her and subdued her. “This is not over!”

“I banish you to the darkest pits of the nether, so that you may never surface or see the light of day again. You will be forgotten. Erased from our family. And you will never hurt another living soul again,” Nico growled. While the ghosts held her, Nico touched Circe's forehead and the woman began to scream again. Like fire burning it away, her body became less and less whole. Her form burned away until Jason could see right through her. Like all the other ghosts that were there.

The ghosts slowly sank into the ground, taking Circe with them. “No!” She screamed. With her own nail, she carved a symbol into her arm and pressed it to her mouth.

The ghosts screamed in pain as they were obliterated. It was like a bomb went off around Circe. Both Jason and Nico went flying. When Jason looked up, he was staring into Nico's black eyes. Nico grabbed Jason by the collar of his shirt and flung him. A dark void opened up and swallowed Jason. Nico got to his feet to follow after the blond, but Circe grabbed him. Her face looked manic as she cackled. The ground beneath their feet cracked and fire shot forth.

“Leaving? So soon?” She hissed. Jason did his best to hold on, but he could feel himself being drawn to the other side. The blond reached out and tried to grab Nico's hand. “I think you should stay. It would be rude to leave before they arrive.”

Looking back at Jason, Nico shook his head and clutched his hand into a fist. Jason let out a yell as he was dragged deeper into the abyss and it closed, cutting him and Nico off. The last thing Jason saw was a black door appearing behind Circe and Nico engulfing himself in a sphere of darkness.

For what felt like eternity, Jason fell. He fell and he fell, into nothingness. He could not see anything, not even his own body. It was not until he looked down that he noticed a white light. He fell through it and landed harshly on his ass.

Jason was sitting back in the cemetery with Marie and the rest of her voodoo tribe. “Jason!” Marie called out to him as she knelt down beside him. “What happened? Nico just collapsed shortly after you were pulled through the vortex.”

Jason blinked and looked behind Marie. Sure enough, Nico's motionless body lay on the ground. “He was there with me. But how is he here?”

Marie helped Jason to his feet and they walked over to Nico. “He let himself slip to the other side.” She shook her head. “Since his soul resides in both planes, his spirit can just travel between the two. Or sometimes accidentally wander over.”

Both of them were knocked backwards when there was a crack and black energy shot out of Nico. The boy's body was wrapped in cocoon of energy. Black lightning crackled when Jason tried to reach out for Nico. The boy's body was now floating inside, his hair flowing every which way.

“What's happening?” Jason asked.

“Oh this is not good.” Marie snapped her fingers and two men ran towards the exit of the cemetery. “We need to move him. Back to my place.”

“But-”

“His spirit is protecting itself.” Maybe that was what Jason saw before he was pulled through the vortex. Marie raised her hands, palms up, and levitated Nico's body. She nodded towards Nico. “Help me. Just hold your hands out and concentrate. Focus your energy and will him where we are going. Let me guide.”

Jason did as he was told. It was like a tug, guiding his magic and focusing it around Nico. The two slowly moved Nico and his protective bubble towards the exit. The two men that had left were waiting with a truck. Marie and Jason placed Nico in the back, and Jason immediately climbed in with him.

When Marie placed a hand on Jason's shoulder, the blond shook his head. “I'm not leaving him.”

Marie nodded with her lips pursed. “All right, sugar. They'll take you to my place. I'll see you when I get there.”

Jason did not take his eyes off Nico the entire way there. He only broke eye contact when he had to climb out of the truck to help levitate Nico inside the house. “I called your sister,” Marie informed Jason when they were going inside. “She said she was on her way.”

“Thank you,” Jason whispered as they put Nico on a bed. The blond took in a deep breath as Marie grabbed some herbs and incense. “Is he going to be okay?”

For a long time, Marie did not answer. She chanted over Nico's body as she sprinkled her ingredients over him. But nothing penetrated the dark sphere that Nico had created around himself. “I can't get through. The boy does not want anything getting to him.” Marie shook her head. “Whatever's got a hold of him on the other side, Nico is doing his best to guard himself against it.” She walked around the bed and guided Jason over to where she kept her herbs. There was a large grimoire there, surrounded by candles. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“He just... beat Circe.” Jason ran a hand through his hair. “Like she was winning at first, but then something snapped in Nico. He got... actually terrifying.”

Marie let out a light breath as she searched for a spell. “The boy is strong, especially beyond the veil.” She motioned for Jason to keep going. “Continue.”

Jason gave a nod. “Right. So, everything was going in his favor. He won their fight. Pretty easily, actually.” Jason frowned to himself. “Then, as he was banishing her, Circe cut a symbol into her wrist. Things got a little crazy after that. I don't know, Nico looked panicked.”

Marie stopped and glanced at the blond beside her. “How panicked are we talking?”

Shrugging, Jason continued. “Enough to grab me and open a portal back to our plane, which he flung me into.” Jason turned to look back at Nico, who was floating above the bed in his dark orb. “Then Circe grabbed him, started rambling about wanting Nico to stay to meet someone. She said she made some deals before Nico got there, maybe that's who she meant.” He slowly walked over to the bed and tried to touch Nico, but the sphere shocked him. Jason's brow furrowed. This was too frustrating. He felt helpless. “Then there was a door that appeared.”

Some glass broke and Jason turned to find that Marie had dropped a vial. “Door?” She turned around, her eyes filled with panic. “What door did you see, Jason?”

“I-”

“You tell me right now. Describe. Draw it. I don't care, just tell me what the door looked like.”

Jason took a step back. What was going on? Marie was scaring him. “It was black. Um, I don't know, it felt empty.” He pursed his lips as he tried to see the door in his head again. “It looked kind of old. But not like bad, just old. Like something out of Dracula's castle.”

Marie pulled a charm from around her neck and kissed it, mumbling under her breath. “This is beyond my power.”

“What?” Jason asked. He turned to Nico. “Is he going to be stuck like this?”

“No,” Marie sighed, “not if I can help it.”

She rolled up her dress and exposed a weird symbol branded into her leg. It was kind of like a compass, pointing in four different directions. The top and bottom reminded Jason of wheat, while the sides kind of looked like stars. The corner points each had a small marking that looked like the head of a screw.

“What is that?” Jason asked, pointing to the brand.

“A veve.”

Was Jason supposed to know what that was? He had just started his lessons! And Hades had not even covered the slightest bit of voodoo yet. But Jason watched as Marie began to rub some blood that she got out of a vial on the veve. It glowed briefly and smoke came from Marie's leg.

A second later, there was a knock at the front door. Jason heard footsteps soon after that. Marie was covering her mouth, watching Nico in worry. Another knock, this time at the bedroom door. When Marie didn't move, Jason opened it.

Staring at him was the man that he had seen earlier that day in the cemetery. He still had on his straw hat and had the pipe in his mouth. “You rang?” He said with a twinkle in his eyes. He moved through Jason to get to Marie.

Yes, actually walked through Jason.

The blond's eyes were as wide as saucers as he turned around. What the hell was this man? Was he a ghost? More importantly, why was he examining Nico?

“Who is this?” Jason asked. “I saw you yesterday. How did you just disappear like that?”

The man turned around with a humble smile on his face. “Would you prefer I didn't have you catch Nico? He would have hurt his head.” The man took the pipe out of his mouth and set it down on the nightstand. “Though, the boy seems to be deep beyond the veil.”

“That doesn't answer my question. Who are you?” Jason glared at Marie. “Why did you summon this... thing?”

“Don't go lecturing me about summoning things not of this world, Jason Grace,” Marie snapped at him. “I summoned him through Mariaj Lwa.”

“Marijuana?”

“No, but I can recommend you some good stuff if you want it,” the straw hat man laughed. Rubbing his hands together, he ran them along the dark sphere. “The boy runs deep in the darkness himself. Molded onto him like a second flesh.”

“Do they have him?” Marie whispered.

“Yes, but they cannot get through the barrier he has created, just as we can't.”

Jason ruffled his hair with a grunt. “Can someone just explain what is happening here?”

Marie took Jason's hand to calm him down. “Jason sweetie, you need to be calm. I know you are worried about Nico, but we are going to do what we can to bring him back.” She glared at the man beside Nico. “Unharmed.”

“Of course,” the man replied. He glanced between Jason and Nico in silence for a moment, then grabbed at the air. Jason felt a sharp tug in his chest when the man seemed to pull on something. “I see the curse still holds strong. Bonded together. This is good.” The man scratched his chin. “Yes, very good.” He snapped his fingers at Jason. “Boy, come here.”

Marie pushed Jason forward. “You need to trust him if you want to save Nico.”

Jason gave a nod. “What can I do?”

“You're going to grab his hand,” the man instructed.

“But I can't get through the barrier.”

“Yes, you can.” The man took a firm grasp of Jason's hand and plunged it inside the dark sphere before Jason could even react. The blond's eyes were wide. “Good. Now take his hand.” Jason did as he was told. Nico's hands were so cold, like death. “Good. Now just don't let go.”

The man raised his hands above his head and his eyes turned white. Smoke came out of his mouth and covered the dark sphere. Then the man clapped his hands and the smoke dissipated, leaving behind Nico laying on the bed. No sphere around him. How? Jason's mouth fumbled as he looked from the man to Nico, and then back again.

Nico let out a groan as he rubbed his head and sat up. “Where am I?” He asked groggily.

“Have some of this,” the man instructed. He handed Nico a mug that Jason was not sure where he had gotten it. Nico didn't question it, though. He did narrow his eyes when he saw the man. “I see your mark is gone, too. Probably would have come in handy.” Waving a hand over Nico, an ashen mark of a deer briefly appeared on Nico's wrist before vanishing. “All better.”

“Legba,” Nico mumbled.

The man smiled and nodded, tipping his hat. With a nod at Marie, he picked up his pipe and headed for the door. Jason stopped him.

“Thank you. But... who are you?”

The man smiled at him. “Just a man passing through.” Then he slowly vanished.

“Papa Legba,” Nico breathed out. Jason turned around in confusion. “Marie summoned Papa Legba to bring me back.” He took another sip of his drink. “He's a loa.” His eyes darkened as he looked at Marie. “Married to her, actually. Mariaj Lwa.”

“There's that word again. What does it mean?” Jason asked.

“It's like a marriage ceremony,” Marie explained as she put her supplies back. “To marry a loa. It means I am bound to do his bidding, as he is bound to help me in a time of need.” She ran her fingers through Nico's hair. “How are you feeling, boy?”

“Better.” Nico closed his eyes for a moment before he got out of bed, brushing Marie's hands away when she tried to stop him. “Circe has help.”

“I know,” Marie grumbled. She shook her head. “I'll make sure to call your father.”

Nico gave a nod. There was a knock at the door. Probably Thalia. Marie glanced between the two boys for a second before she left the room. Jason instantly shot forward and pulled Nico into a hug. He was probably hugging Nico too tight, but Jason didn't care.

“I'm fine, Jason,” Nico mumbled into the blond's shirt.

“You had me worried,” Jason muttered into Nico's hair. The brown-eyed boy was still freezing. “I'm still worried. Why are you not warmer?”

“Probably because of how long I was beyond the veil.” Nico removed himself from Jason's grasp. “And maybe a little to do with where I was taken. The nether is not the best place to visit.” He took in a deep breath. “I saw the door, so I protected myself.”

“The nether?”

“Think of it like hell. Just not a fiery pit. It's hard to explain.” Nico looked down at his hands with a frown. “It's not meant to torment. You just... cease to be. You become part of the void. You feed them.”

Jason tilted his head to the side. “I don't know who you are talking about, Nico.”

“That's good,” Nico whispered. He rubbed his shoulder and turned to face away from Jason. “They are where curses came from. All forms of dark magic. It's where my grandfather found his power. It's where Circe has found hers.” Nico shook his head. “This is worse than I thought.” He glanced at Jason from the corner of his eyes. “I'm sorry, I just don't want to talk about them right now. Not after how close I came to meeting them myself.”

The door opened behind them and Thalia poked her head in. When she spotted the boys, her shoulders relaxed. She moved across the room and enveloped them both in a hug. “I'm so glad you two are okay!” Thalia let out a breath and let them go. “Let's get you both home.” She ruffled Nico's hair. “You look like shit.”

When they arrived back at Thalia and Apollo's apartment, they found Apollo waiting for them on the couch. He shot up when they entered. “You're all right?” He moved forward, but Nico shot him a glare. “Nico-”

“I'm tired. I'm exhausted. I have no energy for talking,” the boy replied.

Apollo let out a sigh. “It's just that there are a lot of questions. The coven will want to know-”

“They can know when Jason and Nico get back,” Thalia said. She pushed Nico's back towards the hallway. “Just let them get some rest. You can question them in the morning.”

Apollo gave a nod. “Glad to see you are safe.” As Jason passed, the other blond clapped him on the shoulder. “Good job tonight, Jason.”

“I didn't really do anything.”

“He fought Circe,” Nico interjected. Apollo quirked a brow at Jason.

“Just briefly. I panicked.” Jason's brow furrowed at Nico. “How did you know that?”

A small smirk appeared on Nico's lips as he leaned against the wall to support himself. “Some ghosts told me while I was protecting myself. I let my mind wander.”

Thalia slapped Jason on the back. “Now that's what I'm talking about! Good job, bro!”

Apollo let out a chuckle. “Okay. Well, good job to both of you.” His eyes flickered over to Nico. “And good to have you safely home. Get some rest. Both of you.”

Jason wrapped an arm around Nico as he helped the boy to his room. But when Jason tried to let go at the door, Nico held on firmly. “Um...” was all Jason could get out.

“Sleep with me,” Nico whispered, not meeting Jason's gaze.

Jason looked over his shoulder at Thalia, who just shrugged with a smirk. Jason went to open his mouth and Thalia gave him a thumbs up before she disappeared into her room. Jason took in a deep breath before turning back to Nico with a nod. “Okay. Anything you want.”

Once the door was closed, Jason turned to face Nico. The boy was removing his pants. Jason would be lying if he didn't let his eyes fall to Nico's boxer-briefs when they were exposed. Nico sat down on the bed with his head down. Jason frowned and walked over, sitting beside Nico.

“Are you scared of me now?” Nico asked so quietly.

Jason put an arm around Nico and let the boy lay his head on the blond's shoulder. “Of course not. That was... pretty cool. Amazing, actually.” He smiled and ran his fingers through Nico's hair. “You're stronger than you look.” Nico just grunted. “You would have beat her if she hadn't called for help. But... these people... Circe said they make even nephilim cower in fear. And nephilim I have met, and they are kind of scary.”

Nico was silent. He got up after a moment and ran his fingers along the dresser. Jason's brow furrowed as he watched the boy move across the room. Whatever this was, Nico did not want to talk about it. He wouldn't push, but Jason was definitely going to worry. What were they dealing with that could scare Nico like this?

“I felt you,” Nico finally whispered. He turned around with a blank look in his eyes. “From inside my protection spell, I could feel you reaching out to me suddenly.”

“Papa Legba had me grab your hand. Not sure how he allowed me to reach you through that.”

Nico let out a breath. “You could do it. He just helped you along.” Nico chewed on his lip for a moment, still not looking at Jason directly. “Our curse keeps us connected. You were able to reach me, like I reach you in those dreams.” He moved to sit back down on the bed. “You're like a tether for me to this plane. Like I can always find my way back.” His brow furrowed as he glanced at the floor. “That actually give me an idea, but you might not like it.”

“What? I'll do anything.”

Nico smiled a little. “Be careful what you wish for.” He patted Jason on the arm. “It's not important, though. Something to worry about in case of an emergency.”

Jason let their fingers drift together. Nico smiled down at them. “Tell me.”

“Well, you remember that blood brother thing that I have with Percy?” Nico asked. Jason gave a nod. “If you and I were to do that... it would cement a firmer binding for me to this plane. Plus I would probably bond better with you.” He rolled his eyes when Jason smirked. “Don't get cocky. Besides, I wouldn't do it. Too risky.”

“I can handle it.”

Nico let out a sigh. “For Percy. And myself. To remove a blood bond is extremely painful and dangerous.” Nico shrugged. “So don't worry about it.”

It kind of sucked. The thought of having a closer bond with Nico sounded rather appealing, but Jason wouldn't put Percy or Nico through something that could hurt either of them, just so he could be a little closer to Nico. They were already practically dating, right? Well, Jason hoped anyways. He still had tomorrow, if nothing else got in the way.

Jason wrapped his arms around Nico and laid them down on the bed. “Can we still do something tomorrow?”

Nico grunted and eyed Jason funny. “Well, we do have a lot to report back to the coven, and I do want to check on things back in Aimes.” Jason pouted at him. “But... I did promise you a date this weekend.” His shoulders relaxed in Jason's arms. “We'll find something to do tomorrow. Something not magic related. A normal date.”

Jason leaned in and pecked Nico on the lips. “I think I will be able to handle that. Especially after tonight. Normal sounds good.” He sat up and removed his shoes and pants before laying back down. “Can we get some beignets?”

Nico chuckled and smacked Jason on the chest before curling into the blond's side. “Sure. Maybe go on a steamboat.” With a grunt, the boy climbed under the covers and snapped his fingers to turn the lights off.

“Aren't you only supposed to use your magic for emergencies?”

Nico smirked at the blond in the darkness. “I won't tell if you won't.”

Yanking his shirt over his head, Jason crawled on top of Nico and leaned down to seal their lips together. He frowned a little at the cold feeling of Nico's skin. Maybe if he pressed their bodies together more. Nico gasped into Jason's mouth when Jason's knee accidentally brushed against Nico's crotch as the blond was trying to reposition himself.

Jason's fingers trailed under Nico's shirt and ghosted over the boy's skin. Nico was panting when Jason pulled back. Maybe they should stop. Jason didn't want to screw things up, when they were going pretty well.

“Jason,” Nico said, pulling the blond back down to seal their lips together. “I can tell you're thinking too much.”

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”

Nico chuckled and let his arms fall to his sides. “You're going to pass up a chance to get me naked?” He arched a brow at the blond. “If I do recall, you were pretty persistent about doing this sort of thing when we first met.”

Jason let out a sigh as he rested his arms on either side of Nico's head. “Just wondering where this is coming from. Is it because of what happened?”

“This is why you shouldn't put so much thought into it.” Nico pecked Jason on the lips. “I know what I'm doing, Jason. I promise not to regret it in the morning.” Nico ran his hands up Jason's chest. “Now kiss me.”

So Jason did. He cupped Nico's face and slowly lowered himself onto Nico, closing the distance between their bodies. Sex would be a good way to warm Nico up, right? Good idea brain, Jason thanked himself. See, this was a great idea!

Their clothes came off under the covers. Much to Jason's amusement, Nico took an intense fascination with feeling his chest muscles. “Having fun?” Jason teased.

Even in the dark, Jason could see a blush creep onto Nico's face. “Shut up.”

“Let's see what other kind of fun we can find.” With a smirk, Jason peeled back the covers. Nico covered himself with a groan. “What's wrong?”

“Your body is much nicer than mine,” Nico grumbled.

Jason snorted. “I don't think you should worry too much about that.” He gave Nico a chaste kiss. “I've seen you shirtless. I think you look pretty cute.”

Nico narrowed his eyes. “I am darkness incarnate.”

“Okay, cutie,” Jason chuckled.

Slowly, Nico uncovered himself. It took Jason a moment to recover himself and close his mouth. Nico was... wow. He was skinny and stuff, sure, but he was beautiful. It was too dark to tell, but Jason doubted there were any tan lines. Jason ran his hand up Nico's soft legs, causing the boy to shiver.

Nico took a firm grasp on Jason's shoulders and rolled them over with his legs still around Jason's hips. The blond blinked up at the brown-eyed boy with surprise. “My turn to look at you,” Nico said.

Jason watched in amusement as Nico traced fingers down Jason's chest. When he got low enough, Nico climbed off of Jason to get a full look. Nico's face flushed so red. “What is it?” Jason inquired with a tilt of his head.

“You're just... big.”

Jason chuckled and hugged Nico to him. “Not that big, and I can take things slow. Or we can stop, if you want.” Nico grunted and kissed Jason's shoulder. “Is that your way of saying you want to proceed?”

“Yes,” Nico muttered. His brow furrowed as he pulled back and took a grasp of Jason's manhood. The blond let out a moan. “Still big. Be gentle.”

Jason smiled and rolled them back over. “So... what do I do about lube and protection? I didn't exactly expect to be doing this.”

Nico rolled his eyes and held out a hand. There was now a bottle of lube and a condom in the boy's palm. That was pretty handy, Jason wouldn't lie. He took the condom and set it aside. Then Jason took the lube and applied some to his fingers.

“Last chance to back out,” Jason teased. Nico's only reply was to pull Jason down for a kiss.

Right before Jason stuck a finger in, Nico stopped him. “Just... you know... this is my first time.”

Jason chuckled. “We are in the same boat, remember?”

Nico nodded his head and relaxed. Slowly, Jason slid a finger into Nico. The boy instantly tensed up. Nico shut his eyes and squeezed his toes tight. So Jason waited until the brown-eyed boy relaxed again before he proceeded. Jason added a second finger when Nico was comfortable enough.

After enough preparation, Jason picked the condom back up and slid it onto himself. Nico took in a deep breath as Jason raised the boy's legs and lined himself up. Nico scrunched his eyes tight as Jason slid inch by inch inside of Nico. Once all the way in, Jason gave Nico a moment to adjust.

Jason leaned in and kissed Nico's forehead, which already had his hair matted to it from sweat that was beginning to form. When Nico finally nodded, Jason grabbed Nico under his knees and pulled almost all the way out before sliding back in. He wanted to take things slow at first, so as to not hurt Nico. Only when Nico told him to would he go faster.

It was something else to be doing this with Nico. It was almost like Jason felt complete. He wanted to touch Nico more. Their fingers intertwined. He wanted more. Their lips moved against each other, soft gasps coming from both of their mouths. Jason slowly moved a hand down Nico's side and grasped the boy by the thigh. It was intoxicating.

The rhythm was fluid. Their bodies moved so perfectly against each other. Jason could feel Nico getting warmer underneath him. The boy had his head tossed back and his mouth hung open. Jason reached down and wrapped a hand around Nico's arousal, stroking him with each thrust.

Since they had both been virgins, things didn't last all that long. Not that Jason minded. It was still amazing. He did his best not to fall on top of Nico when he finished. Nico smiled up at him and kissed the tip of Jason's nose.

“Ah,” Jason said, getting up, “don't move. I'll get you something to clean up with.” Nico just smiled at him as he got up. After depositing the condom in the trash, Jason got a towel and returned to the bed, handing it to Nico. “I didn't hurt you, did I?”

Nico was smiling so big. “No, relax. You were great. I really enjoyed it.” He sat up when he finished cleaning the semen from his abdomen. Tossing the towel aside, he wrapped his arms around Jason's neck. “Now, I think we could both use some sleep.”

Jason was about to climb into bed, when he remembered something. “Wait, I need to take my contacts out.”

Nico narrowed his eyes and did not let go of Jason. “You really need to learn your magic.” He waved a hand over Jason's eyes and the blond's contacts vanished. Also, Jason's glasses appeared on the nightstand. “Makes life so much easier.”

Jason smiled and rolled onto the other side of Nico. The boy pressed his back to Jason's chest and the blond wrapped his arms around Nico's waist. Jason hummed and kissed Nico's shoulder. This felt right. They felt right. He was glad he had waited to have sex, because could now be happy to say that his first time had been with Nico. Nico was right, it had been amazing. And now he could just lay there in a state of bliss, while he drifted off to sleep with Nico in his arms.

\--------------------------------------

The next morning, Jason found a significant lack of company in the bed. The blond let out a grunt as he opened his eyes to double check. Empty. Jason rubbed his eyes and grabbed his glasses, scouring the room. Nico's clothes from last night were still on the floor, but there was no telling what that meant. Jason doubted Nico was running around naked, so he had probably already gotten some new clothes. But why hadn't Nico woken him up?

Did he feel awkward around Jason after last night? Or maybe Jason had just been really bad in bed. Stretching, Jason got up and got his own clothes from the night before. He slipped out the door and checked the bathroom. Maybe Nico was taking a shower. The light was off.

Jason blew out a breath, trying not to let his imagination get the better of him. He just needed to find the other boy before that did happen. Surely he was still in the apartment, right? Jason entered the kitchen and breathed a sigh of relief.

Nico looked up from behind a mug of coffee, in some pajamas and with some serious bed head. He looked rather confused when Jason seemed to be relieved at the sight of him. He gave Jason a light smile as the blond entered the kitchen.

Thalia was seated across from Nico, reading the Sunday comics from the paper, so Jason sat down between her and Nico. “Coffee?” Thalia asked, holding up her own mug but not looking up from behind the newspaper.

“Thanks,” Jason replied, standing back up. He squeezed Nico's shoulder on the way to the counter where Apollo was making eggs and sausage.

After pouring himself some coffee, Jason sat back down. Nico tilted his head to the side with a smile when Jason didn't stop looking at him. Everything seemed fine. Honestly, Jason had just been worried about regressing. They had come so far, and Jason didn't want that to have been ruined by one night. One amazing night, at least in Jason's opinion.

Apollo finally sat down with the finished breakfast and put the plate in the middle. “Dig in,” he said, getting himself some food. Thalia finally put the newspaper down and shoveled her own food onto a plate. And then Apollo quirked a brow at Jason and Nico. “Are you two just going to stare at each other all day?” Nico's face went red and downed another gulp of coffee. “You two are acting strange.”

“Probably still weirded out from last night,” Thalia mumbled around a bite of sausage. She chanced a glance at the two boys. “You two are welcome to sleep longer, if you are still tired.”

“No,” Apollo replied, narrowing his eyes at Jason and Nico, “that's not it.” The older blond leaned back in his chair and stared off into space. “You know, the look kind of reminds me of something...” He shook his head and went back to his food. “I mean, after Nico was limping a little this morning, I might think that you two-”

Thalia slammed her fork down. “You two did what?” She shouted, eyes wide. Nico slapped a hand over his face. Jason sank in his chair, hoping the floor would swallow him whole. “I can't trust you two to sleep alone.” Thalia shook her head at Jason. “Well, I mean, good for you, bro.” She leaned forward, narrowing her eyes at Nico. “But did he hurt you? I'm sure Percy would-”

“No,” Nico quickly interjected. His face was so red. Far more red than Jason had ever seen it. Not that Jason could blame him, this was mortifying. “Everything is fine. We are fine. And I didn't mean for it to happen when I asked him to sleep with me. I just needed him to help me come back to this side.” Nico held his hand across the table. “See? Completely warm.”

“I'll bet he warmed you up real good,” Apollo grinned. Both Nico and Thalia kicked him under the table.

Nico took in a deep breath and stood up. “I think I'm just going to get a shower and get dressed. I promised Jason a normal day in the city.”

Jason shoveled down the rest of his breakfast and got up. Thalia turned in her seat as the two were leaving the room. “Separate showers!”

When they were both done with their showers and in a fresh change of clothes, the two quickly left the apartment. They stopped outside and Nico finally broke a smile. “Hi,” he said, looking up at Jason.

“Hi,” Jason replied, stepping a little closer. He put a hand on Nico's waist to ask permission to kiss the boy. When no objection came, Jason leaned down and sealed their lips together in a quick kiss. “That was...”

“Embarrassing,” Nico chuckled. “Thalia doesn't really care, don't mind her lecturing. I think she's just trying to find her place as your big sister.”

Jason nodded. “So... does that mean no regrets about last night?”

Nico's response was at first to stand on his tip toes and wrap his arms around Jason's neck, kissing the blond. “Nope. I enjoyed it. But... let's not get too ahead of ourselves. Our agreement was for you to knock my socks off with a great date this weekend before I would consider dating you.”

So they were off. Nico transported them with magic from area to area, so they could see random places in the general vicinity. They caught an early ride on a steamboat, which was very relaxing after last night. Jason rested his arms on the railing and put his chin on top of them, staring out at the water. Nico leaned against him. It was perfect.

“So, I don't know if I should ask Thalia, but why did my parents leave her here?” Jason decided to ask.

Nico pulled back and looked at Jason. “Don't know. From what I know, your parents just showed up at Apollo and Artemis' house one night and wanted Leto, their mother, to watch after Thalia. So, when Artemis became Head of House, she kept Thalia with her.”

“How old are the twins?”

“Not too much older than us. Thirty-five. But they still retain their youth, obviously, as they both look to be fresh out of high school. Apollo just likes to stay up to date with medicine, so he takes courses every two or three years.” Nico shrugged. “He'll probably move back to Aimes in the summer and stay there until he's ready to learn some more. I think it might have also been so that Thalia wouldn't be alone in New Orleans.” A frown briefly touched Nico's lips. “Well, Alabaster is here, of course, but Thalia doesn't really care for him. She got really mad at Apollo after what happened, but I told her it was okay.”

Jason moved behind Nico, wrapping his arms around the boy as they stared out at the water. Jason smiled to himself as he rested his chin on Nico's shoulder. This was so nice. Why couldn't they just stay here like this forever? No worries. No nephilim. No Circe. No curse. Well, there was the curse. Maybe they still needed a way to fix that. Preferably before it found a way to tear Jason and Nico apart.

Jason pressed a light kiss to Nico's neck. “Is Alabaster part of the coven?”

“Not really. His mother moved him to Aimes a few years ago, when Alabaster was just a sophomore. Old friend of the family. But his mother passes away last year. Car accident.” He frowned when Jason gave him a look. “A real accident, not part of any curse. The curse only applies to anyone from our thirteen families, not all witches and warlocks.”

When they were done with the steamboat ride, Nico took them to a small diner for lunch. And so they could continue to talk. “I did promise to answer anything you had to ask,” Nico reminded him after their food was delivered.

“I guess I'll start off big,” Jason replied, staring down at his food. “Do you know what Tartarus did to gain so much power?”

Nico was quiet for a long time. So long that Jason thought he might have asked the wrong thing. But then Nico took in a breath and nodded. “I do. I just don't want to talk about it.” He gave Jason a weak smile. “Can we talk about something else? I really don't like that subject. I don't like the thought of what it costed to get my power.”

“You're strong?”

Nico was still for a moment, then a nod. “Quite.” His voice was barely above a whisper, and he wouldn't look at Jason.

Okay, Jason thought to himself, find another topic. He might be able to ask whatever he wanted, but Jason did not want to upset Nico by doing it. Obviously, Tartartarus was not a good subject for Nico. Which just made Jason wonder even more what the guy had done in the past. Mellie sure didn't talk that highly of the dead warlock.

“What about the bruising?”

Nico finally relaxed, and so did Jason. Finally, a topic that was okay. “It's hard. I've tried to find a way to break the spell, but I haven't found anything. I've searched Tartarus' notes and memories. Nothing.” Nico shook his head. “The day it happened... it's missing. From both places. His journal had the day it happened ripped out, and the memory is just blank.”

Jason pursed his lips, thinking. “What if you made your own spell?”

There was a sigh from Nico. “Maybe. I would just need the right ingredients, unfortunately. I don't even know what he used or did to make the spell happen.” The raven haired boy rubbed his forehead. “It sucks. The ghosts don't mean to hurt me, it's more about getting my attention. Some want to ask me something, or maybe get a message to a loved one. Then I have to give them the bad news that their loved one has been dead for maybe fifty years.” Nico cracked a smile. “Ghosts suck at keeping up with the date most of the time.”

After lunch, the two went for a walk. The only magical thing they actually did was visiting a Wiccan bookstore to pick up a few things Demeter had asked Nico to pick up for her. Jason did smile when he noticed how annoyed Nico looked, watching the mortals invest themselves into this culture. It also felt weird to call them mortals. Just a week ago, Jason thought himself to be one as well. A month ago, he hadn't even know there was anything besides a mortal.

The next few hours was peaceful. Jason expressed his annoyance about being removed from the baseball team, and Nico tried to prepare Jason for what it would be like to be disliked by everyone. “Just keep in mind that it isn't their fault,” Nico reminded Jason. “I know you didn't mean to hurt Dylan, but we don't try to go around hurting mortals. Unless they really deserve it. Like killing one of our own, or seriously injuring.” Nico let out a sigh and looped his arm through Jason's. “And, even then, we probably shouldn't. They don't really mean to do any of it.”

“Can you just break the curse down for me?”

Nico took in a deep breath. “So, basically, Circe cursed the coven and everyone they are around the day she died. It basically follows us from place to place, which is why we stay in such a small town. And we stay very isolated if any of us go off to college.” Nico stared down at the sidewalk as they moved. “Circe was very pissed because the coven and Salem both came together to execute her. But, keep in mind, we were in control of the Salem Witch Trials. Up until then, Circe was the only real witch that was executed. With the exception of Ouranos before the witch hunt began.”

“Who is Ouranos?” Jason asked.

“Right, sorry.” Nico squeezed Jason's hand. “That would be Kronos' father. Gaea never remarried after he died. Which seems very odd, for an immortal.” Nico shook his head. “Anyways, since we worked with the mortals to execute her, she made sure mortals wouldn't like us. Nobody would want to help us.” There was a long silence, where Nico just stared off at some stores that they passed. “The curse makes it so that anyone we are around behaves like the town treated Circe. Essentially. They aren't always out to kill us, but they are typically hostile.”

“Just not all of them.”

“True,” Nico nodded, “there are exceptions. Not everyone was mean in Salem. So you have mortals like Chiron, Eros, and Mellie. Coach Hedge isn't necessarily mean towards, just grumpy in general.” Nico smiled briefly. “But that's basically it. If it wasn't for the curse, chances are that the people in Aimes would all be super friendly towards all of us. Even Mrs. Dodds, as hard as that is to believe. Khione might still be a bitch, but we won't know until the curse is broken.”

Jason perked up at that. “So, are you saying you think we can break it?”

“Maybe,” Nico muttered. “Circe is here. Not alive, but here. For so long, nobody knew where she was. But now we have the person that made the curse.”

“What good exactly does that do us?”

“It means that we can make her reverse it, or resort to other measures.” Nico's lips tilted down when Jason quirked a brow at him. “It means that someone in my family, probably me, will have to shatter Circe's soul. Only my family can. A few artifacts can do the job, but we don't exactly have any of those handy.” A long sigh escaped Nico's mouth as they stopped at a light. “I'm sure she will surface again.”

Jason made a face. “In my mother's body.” He clenched his hand into a fist by his side. “She had my mother killed, so that she could use my mother as a vessel.” Nico squeezed his hand. Then it hit Jason. Did Nico know about his own mother? “Nico...”

The boy blinked back at him. “What?”

“Circe... told me something else in there. I don't know if you know about it, but I feel like maybe you should.” Jason turned to face Nico, still clutching his hand. “Did you know she put it in the townspeople's heads to kill your mother? She influenced the curse to make them do it.”

Nico didn't move. His eyes were frozen on Jason's chest. His hand felt cold in Jason's. Everything felt cold, actually. People that passed shivered and looked around, questioning how it felt so cold on such a bright day. Nico hadn't known.

“Nico,” Jason whispered, “I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn't-”

The boy finally squeezed Jason's hand. “No.” His voice was so quiet. “Thank you for telling me.” He pursed his lips and was quiet for about thirty seconds. “It doesn't make it any easier to know.” Something broke in Nico's eyes right then and there. Jason instantly wrapped the boy in a hug. “I hate her,” he mumbled into Jason's shoulder. “I hate my grandfather for bringing her back.”

Really, Jason just wanted to know the right thing to say to Nico. Everything that he could think of sounded hollow and overused. So Jason just held Nico. When Nico finally pulled back, the blond kissed Nico's forehead. Nico gave the blue-eyed boy a weak smile.

“I'll be fine,” Nico whispered. He gave a nod, as if to convince himself. “Maybe I should tell my father when I get home. He should know. Bianca should know.” He let out a long breath. “But, for now, we still have to finish our-” Nico groaned as his phone went off. “Can't even get a moment's peace.” He pulled out his phone and accepted the call. “Yeah, Percy, what's up?” Nico instantly pulled his phone away and grabbed Jason, pulling him down an alley. Nico turned turned the speakerphone on. There was a lot of screaming. “Percy?”

“Oh, hi, Nico!” Percy greeted them on the call. “How's the weekend going? Lots of kissing?”

Nico sighed. “Just... what is that noise?”

“Noise? What noise?”

Nico frowned and narrowed his eyes when they heard the baa of a sheep. “Percy...”

“Everything is fine! Totally under control.” Percy yelped suddenly. “No, give me back my shoe! That's my favorite pair! Why are there so many of you guys?” Jason and Nico quirked a brow at each other as they stared at the phone. “But everything is totally under control, I promise! No rush to come home.”

“Is that Nico?” Came Reyna's voice.

“Yeah, but-” Percy tried to reply before the phone apparently was ripped away from him. There was a loud crash that followed it.

Reyna let out a huff. “Nico, Jason, we have a serious problem.”

“I know, we met with Marie,” Nico began. “We found out that-”

“Not that!” Reyna screamed. “We have bigger issues around here. The town has gone crazy! Get your butts home right now!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that ends the chapter. Was it good? Writing the death magic combat was not easy. I did my best to not make it look like some Naruto stuff. Also, they more than likely will have sex again, just later in the story. I'm just putting it out there that, when it does happen, it'll be written similarly to this. Anyways, that wraps up New Orleans. They'll be back in Aimes next chapter. Not sure if Marie will pop back up. She might.
> 
> As it seems, Aimes is going a little crazy. It looks like a certain nephilim did in fact stick around, and they do love pranks and chaos. So the next few chapters revolve around the nephilim arc, and I do plan for them to be quite entertaining. With some dark moments mixed in there.
> 
> But I am going to go. I'm will be working on a chapter for the Children of Loss spinoff next before I return to this. I also need to do some reading, as I have several books to read that I have been slacking on in order to write. HimekoUchia wants me to read the Captive Prince trilogy, which I am already half way done with the first book, and CarleeAdison wants me to read the Raven Cycle. Plus I have some Jasico fics I have been meaning to read lately. Anyways, let me know your thoughts and if you liked the chapter. I am going to go enjoy the rest of my day.


	18. You Have Goat to be Kidding Me

“Why have you locked up the church exactly?” Nico asked Percy with a dull look.

They had just arrived back from New Orleans. Nico might have driven a little over the speed limit. Like thirty miles over. It was fine, really. Jason totally didn't fear for his life or put the handle on his door in a death grip. It was fine! Reyna had not explained what the issue was over the phone, but she had instructed them where to meet.

When Jason reached for the door, Reyna smacked his hand away. “I wouldn't open that if I were you,” the girl simply replied.

Nico's eyes glanced down to Percy's feet. “You're missing a shoe.” He arched a brow at the green-eyed boy. “Why are you missing a shoe?”

Percy pouted. “A goat ate it.”

“A goat? In town?” Jason asked. Percy nodded. “Why was there a goat in town?”

“Gee, I didn't think to ask,” Percy replied sarcastically. He rolled his eyes. “The point is that thing took my shoe and ate it. He probably shared it with his friends.”

Nico held up a hand. “Wait, there is more than one goat?” He shook his head. “Did Travis and Connor have anything to do with this?”

“Not that we are aware of,” Reyna replied. She glanced at Percy, who was trying to keep his weight onto the foot that still had a shoe. “I already questioned Percy.”

“I already told you I didn't do it!” Percy let out a huff. “I have an alibi.”

“Which is?” Jason asked. He still wanted to look inside. His eyes refused to stop looking at the door. How many goats could really be in there?

Reyna shook her head. “He won't tell. Not sure why exactly.”

Nico arched a brow at the green-eyed boy. Percy finally let out a sigh. “I'll tell you later. Just as long as it stays between us.”

After a few seconds, Nico gave a nod. “Good enough for me.” With that, he reached for the door and opened it. “What in the...?”

Jason's eyes widened as they peered inside. There were goats. A lot of them. Everywhere. The sanctuary was filled to the brim with goats. Jason wasn't even aware there were this many goats around Aimes. They were on the pews, behind the podium, one was even in a window.

Reyna shut the door. “It's not just here. The coven has us locking down all the churches in Aimes. It's like this in every single one.”

Nico rubbed his chin, deep in thought. “Did they tell you what we found out, though?”

Percy shook his head. “No. We've been so caught up with this all weekend.” He shrugged. “It wasn't so bad Friday or Saturday, just some weird occurrences. Then everything just hit the fan earlier today.” The green-eyed boy motioned to the church. “Mellie called and informed us about the church here. She was getting some music sheets printed off for church tonight, and found it like this. Unfortunately, we weren't able to contain it. People have seen. Kind of why we found out about the other churches.”

“It's not just churches. Tires off cars apparently went missing when the owner just stepped inside to pick up some food, then found them gone three minutes later,” Reyna added. “Someone found a dog on top of the courthouse this afternoon.” She gave Percy a dark look before she continued. “And... a giant ball of yarn rolled down main street and broke several bystanders' legs.” Percy snorted at that. “Jesus, Percy, can you not laugh?”

“I'm sorry,” Percy chuckled, “but it's funny.” He shook his head and cleared his throat. “Well, the good news is that the coven has overturned our suspension on magic, in order to deal with this. Everyone's working cleanup duty.”

Jason had to agree with Percy on the last part, it was kind of funny. However, it was hard for him to laugh. He glanced over at Nico, who had his hands clenched at his sides. The blond was afraid of this. This was what Nico had been worried about. The nephilim had gotten loose, and now it was causing havoc in Aimes.

Clearing his throat, Jason turned his attention to Percy and Reyna. “Is school going to be canceled?”

“No,” Reyna replied.

“Isn't the coven worried about what else might happen?”

Reyna gave a shrug. “Nothing we can do about it. All we can do is contain it, minimize damage.”

Percy grunted. “The coven authorized any use of magic to try and keep damage to a minimum. Just no verbal spells, and nothing obvious. Just try to keep everyone safe in town.” A frown touched Percy's lips as he rubbed a finger across his mouth. “Not that they would do the same.” He took in a deep breath. “So, what did you guys find out? Who is out to get us?”

“Circe,” Nico replied darkly.

Percy blinked for a second. “You're joking... right? Your great-aunt?” When Nico didn't reply, Percy took in a breath before he clapped Jason on the back. “Well, nice knowing you, bud. She's probably still pissed that your granddad boned Nico's.”

Reyna elbowed the tan boy in the ribs. “Not helping.”

“I was joking!”

Jason took in a breath. This was not helping. “Does anyone have any idea what we are going to do-” Jason had no more than blinked, when he realized that he and Nico were now standing in his house. In front of the coven. “Oh... That's... impressive.” He leaned in to Nico to whisper. “Can they just do that at any point?” Nico gave him a dark look. “Just asking. You know, in case things like last night happen again.”

Nico narrowed his gaze even more. A smirk touched on Aphrodite's lips as she reclined in a chair, martini in hand. “Sounds like you two had a fun weekend.”

Jason wished he hadn't even whispered that. He refused to meet the man's gaze, but he was absolutely certain that Hades was giving him the evil eye. Maybe Nico could talk him down? Jason didn't want to wake up to dead bodies in his room for the rest of his life. Thankfully, Gaea had his back.

“Can we continue to more important matters?” She asked. Everyone fell silent. “We are aware of what you learned in New Orleans. Marie Levesque was most detailed in her report.” Jason was just thankful that Apollo was not there to make matters worse than it already was. He didn't need the blond making comments about what else had gone on over the weekend. “That being said, we are pushing that issue to the side for the moment.”

Wait, what? Jason must have misheard them. Nico had the same reaction as Jason. The boy looked dumbfounded. “Are you serious?” Jason said before he could catch himself. He clamped a hand over his mouth.

“In case you were too busy being distracted by my son, you might have missed the current issue in town,” Hades said dryly. Nico refused to meet his father's eyes. “Circe is weakened. Marie told us that Nico beat her in the spirit world. She will be unable to pose a threat for some time.”

“How can you be sure?”

Hera shook her head. “Do not forget, Jason, that we have been doing this far longer than you.” She paced behind Gaea's chair, a stern look on her face. “While Circe is a grave threat-”

“She has help!” Jason's brow furrowed. “I may not know who they are, but Nico implied that they were very bad news.”

“Yes,” Poseidon simply replied. The man stood in front of the fireplace, his brow furrowed. “They are called the Shadow Tribunal, and they have existed since the dawn of this world. Possibly the dawn of time. No one can say for certain. They are older than even our gods.” The man let out a heavy sigh. “Nico is correct, they are a grave issue. However, they have no means to act. They were sealed away a very long time ago, when witches and gods came together to put an end to them. They can only act through puppets.”

“Circe,” Jason guessed. Poseidon nodded. “So, you just want to wait around until she shows herself again?”

Artemis stood up and placed a hand on Jason's shoulder. “Jason, you must calm down. We will handle it. For now, we have a real threat that is plaguing the town. Circe has the Shadow Tribunal backing her, yes, but even she is no match for a nephilim. Not on her own.”

This did not make sense. They might have been around longer, but they seemed to miss the big issue. “And how many people has it hurt so far? Percy and Reyna didn't mention any deaths.” The coven exchanged looks. “I'm guessing there hasn't been any.”

Ares snarled at him. “Watch your mouth, boy.” He came forward and shoved a finger in Jason's chest. “Don't forget whose fault it is that we have this issue.” His eyes glared over at Nico. “Maybe if Nico here wasn't too distracted making heart eyes at the blond kid here-”

“I didn't know he was a warlock!” Nico snapped.

“You had to have a suspicion,” Athena replied. Her eyes were trained in a cold gaze on both of the boys. “You visited him in his dreams? Even if you didn't see him clearly, I doubt you are incapable enough to not realize a connection after you met Jason.”

“I...” Nico balled his hands into fists, “might have had some suspicions. They were minor.” His eyes flickered up to Kronos, who stood quiet in the back. “I didn't want to accept that I still had to worry about the curse.”

Jason wanted to reach out for Nico. He couldn't, though. It would only make it worse. This had happened because of them. Perhaps the others were right. Maybe they were too distracted with each other to pay attention to the facts.

Taking in a breath, Jason tore his eyes off Nico and looked at Gaea. “Then we'll just fix it.”

“You sound very confident in that,” his great-grandmother replied.

“I am.”

“It would be pretty hard,” Hephaestus muttered, “since we have no bloody idea where the thing even is.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “You still haven't found it?” Everyone shook their head. Nico finally looked at his father. “You've searched everyone in town?”

Hades gave a nod. “Even out in the country. Hospitals. Every house. Every person. The sick, the dying, the old, the young, and everything in between.” The man shook his head. “There is nothing that stands out.”

“The situation is very unusual,” Athena agreed. She turned to the boys. “We will keep looking. As we told the others, make sure to keep your eyes and ears open. We need to stop this before something bad really does happen.” She shook her head with a frown. “Nothing ever good comes from when nephilim walk our earth. Cities usually get destroyed.”

Nico noticed Jason's confused look. “I told you, they can cause a lot of trouble. You'd be surprised how many bad events throughout history were caused by them. They find fun in mischief. And their games are usually catastrophic.”

“How big are we talking?” Jason whispered.

Nico pursed his lips. “Trying starting the first world war.”

“Atlantis,” Poseidon added.

Hades nodded. “Plagues. The great flood and the ice age.”

“Putting the idea of murder into the head of Brutus and the senators that killed Caesar,” Athena said. She arched a brow at Jason. “Pompeii.” She let out a breath. “Shall we keep going? It's a fairly long list.”

Kronos handed Jason an old book. “Read this. It will help.” He took his place by his mother. “Pagans called them fairies, or fae. They were notorious for stealing things. Today, we say things like, 'they stole my left sock'. They even take children. Often the first born. It is sometimes their form of payment for their deals.” He tapped a finger to his lips. “Nobody ever has come to learn what they do with the children they take.”

“Perhaps we can ask this one when we catch it,” Ares smirked, cracking his knuckles.

Poseidon rolled his eyes. “The thing would turn you to a pile of ash without even working up a sweat.” He shook his head when Ares glared. Poseidon turned back to Jason. “I'd suggest reading that book. You need to know all you can about these things.”

Jason nodded his head. Gaea stood up and poured herself a drink. “You two are excused,” she said. “I want you to get started on that book tonight, Jason. This thing knows who you are. It likely knew what you were when you summoned it.”

Jason felt a shiver run up his spine. He thought back to that night. It was like the thing's voice was in his head. The way it looked at him. Maybe it had known what Jason was. It seemed certain that they would meet again.

“I will,” he nodded. With a nod of her own, Gaea waved them away.

When Jason shut the door behind him, he looked at Nico. The boy was being very quiet, walking several paces in front of Jason. Was everything okay?

“Hey,” Jason said quietly. He tilted his head to the side to catch Nico's eye. Smiling, he held up the book. “Want to help me with my homework?”

Nico's lips were a thin line. “I don't think that's a good idea.” His voice was barely above a whisper. “This wasn't a good idea, Jason. It's my fault that thing is out there.” He shook his head. “You... I can't focus with you around.” His brow furrowed as he glared at the floor, refusing to meet Jason's eyes. “We shouldn't be anything more than friend.”

“But-” Jason nearly dropped the book. “Last night... and you said-”

“Forget what I said,” Nico snapped. His eyes were dark when he looked up at Jason. “That thing is out there because I couldn't admit to what was right in front of me. I shouldn't have took the chance. I knew better. I should have...” Nico took in a breath. “And this weekend... I would have never been so reckless.” Jason went to open his mouth, but Nico held up a hand. “Not the sex. I mean with Circe. You got pulled in there because I wasn't prepared. I was distracted. Again. Like I always am when I'm around you.”

“Nico...”

Nico flung his hands in the air, exasperated. “This curse. I can't take it. You're all I can ever think about. It's like I'm high when you are around me!” Jason pursed his lips. He could let Nico vent. He could take it. “She wants me to be distracted. And that thing...” Nico fumed. “That nephilim is playing with me. It knew. It was mocking me, knowing I was practically letting it loose.”

“This isn't your fault, Nico,” Jason whispered. He reached out for the boy, but Nico smacked his hand away.

“Don't touch me.” Nico shook his head. “I can't. Not right now, Jason. There's too much going on right now. Too much at stake.” He wrapped his arms around himself. “I won't risk breaking the curses, just because of feelings that I have for you. I can fix this all. I just can't be distracted.” Nico took a step down the stairs. “And you... You are a distraction. We just need to be friends.”

It was like something pierced straight through Jason's heart. He could take what Nico said, really he could, but it still stung. Especially that last part. This couldn't be happening. Not now! Everything had been going so well. It was perfect. He just wanted to go back to before Percy had called them. They had been happier.

“Nico...” Jason tried, straining his voice. “You can't mean that. It's the curse talking.”

There was no way to read Nico's face. The boy had reigned in his emotions and locked them deep inside. “Maybe. Maybe not. I don't know. Honestly, I don't care right now.” He shook his head. “When this is over, then we can be happy. But I will not rest until Circe is no longer a problem for us. Until this nephilim is put back where it belongs.” He ripped his hand away when Jason tried to reach for him again. “I think our families have caused enough problems for this coven to last us an eternity.”

He was stunned. Jason couldn't move. He just stood there and watched as Nico descended the stairs and stormed out the door. Why couldn't this just be a dream? This wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to be with Nico, Jason could feel it in his very soul. Last night had just felt so right.

\--------------------------------

Perhaps it was not the best idea to take his new book to school, but Jason did not have much to worry about under the circumstances. School was chaos. Utter chaos. A girl's hair had got caught in her locker, which wouldn't open, and the only way they could get her out was cutting a chunk of her hair. Pudding oozed off the walls of the building outside. Cups filled with wine covered the halls, which took the staff over thirty minutes before school started to clean up. All the frogs in the science lab had apparently “not been dead”, and had made their escape into other classrooms.

The entire football team's uniforms had been replaced by tutus. And the janitor found a storage closet full of plastic flamingos, all of which that had apparently gone missing from all over town. Needless to say, Jason wasn't worried about anyone paying attention to a book that he was carrying with him. The downside was that the other kids' magic wasn't helping much. With the exception of Percy and Nico, all other magic that the kids used was useless. Luke said Jason probably could do the same, but he still had no idea how to use his powers yet.

On the subject of Nico, the boy had not talked to him all day. Not even in Home Economics. Not that they had an assignment to do today. All of the flour had, apparently, blown up in the bags. The entire classroom was like a winter wonderland.

So, since Nico seemed to want space, Jason decided to eat lunch by himself. He could have tried to sit with Eros, but the brunet was probably with Kinzie and Octavian. Those two, along with the rest of the student body, was not happy with anyone from the coven. Go figure, they blamed them for all of this. Nobody was really sure how they did it, though. It was astounding to Jason that these people could accuse them of witchcraft, but not believe in actual magic.

Although, now that he thought about it, Jason had yet to see Eros today.

Jason looked up when a tray was placed in front of him. Percy smirked down at his before sitting down. “Why are you all the way over here?” The green-eyed boy asked.

“Nico wants some space,” Jason sighed. He glanced over at Nico, who was looking at him from the corner of his eye. Percy turned to look at his friend and waved. “So, here I am.”

“I thought things went well this weekend?”

Jason chuckled. “Yeah, so did I. All this chaos has him on edge.” Jason shrugged as he flipped the page of his book. “Did you know that nephilims' eyes change color?”

“Yes,” Percy laughed. “We studied magical creatures growing up. I'm sure it was only a matter of time before they had you study up on them anyways.” The boy tossed a fry into his mouth. “Blue is good. They are usually happy or doing something helpful. Yellow and dilated pupils is the normal color.”

“Yeah, I saw that one.” Jason fought a shiver at the memory.

“And then there is red with a black mist,” Percy continued. The boy smirked as he took a bite of another. “That's the one to worry about. You'll probably be turned to ash or something else. Maybe turn your body inside out. It's where mortals got the idea that demons have red eyes.”

Jason nodded as he stared at the page in front of him. “And they have wings, which only come out when they are angry or you are about to die.”

“Those sometimes go together.” Percy shrugged. “But, for the most part, it's for when they are there to collect a soul to cart off to the afterlife. Angels of death and all that.”

Jason frowned and closed the book. “Percy?” He asked. The boy looked up at him. “Can I ask you something about Nico?”

“Sure, bud.”

“Why is he taking all this so hard?

“Oh.” Percy's brow furrowed as he stared down at his food. “Nico... feels like he owes a lot to the coven. Especially your great-grandmother. She kept things quiet about him with the High Coven. Like, they know he's alive, but they do not know that your grandmother tried to kill both him and his mother.”

Jason glanced over at Nico, who was barely touching his food. “Why would that matter? It was just magic.”

“Dark magic,” Percy mumbled. He took a bite of a fry. “Magic is magic. It's not good or evil. That is mostly true, but there are some domains of magic that everyone deemed too... foul... to ever practice. Curses and spells, all of which were offered from the Shadow Tribunal.” Percy let out a sigh. “The adults only teach us so much about them. I do know that they are very bad. The spell that Tartarus used to save Nico came from a book. A very, very dark book. Nobody has seen it since then, but the spells were forbidden. At least, that's what my dad says. He said that Tartarus wouldn't even let Hades look at the contents of the book.”

A book. Jason had to wonder. Maybe that book was how Tartarus split his soul between the mortal and spirit world. If that were true, maybe the answer to reversing it was also in that book. But it was lost. Did Hades have it? Maybe Nico would know.

A grin split across Percy's face. “So... just how good was this weekend?”

Jason arched a brow and glanced over at Nico again. “I really shouldn't tell. Nico would kill me.”

“Not if he doesn't find out,” Percy sang.

Rolling his eyes, Jason shook his head. “I could tell you,” he said with a smirk, “but you could also tell me what you told Nico last night.”

“No fair!” Percy pouted. He slumped in his chair. “I'm not supposed to talk about that.”

“Some secret coven business?”

Percy shook his head. “No. I was just... hanging out... with Rachel.”

Jason tilted his head to the side. “Why is that a secret?”

Percy fixed him with a look. “Because, Grace, I've been on break with Annabeth.” Percy let out a sigh. “I like Annabeth, I do, but she's so focused on getting into a good college. Too focused on school. We've barely spent any time together. Rachel's fun... you know, when she doesn't talk in riddles about the future.”

There was a laugh from Jason. He could definitely agree with that. “Your secret is safe with me.” He smiled. “Are you going to date her?”

Percy scratched his chin. “I don't know. I might need to talk to Annabeth first. Clear things up. I guess it would depend on Rachel.” Then Percy narrowed his eyes with a wicked smirk and leaned on the table. “Now then, what happened this weekend?”

A huge blush hit Jason's face. That was probably all the answer Percy needed, because the other boy laughed. “Shut up! You can't tell him I told you.” Jason rolled his eyes and then smiled at the memory. “It was nice. I thought everything was going to be fine, but then we got home and all hell had broken loose. And the coven doesn't even want to chase after Circe right now. I would think striking her while she is weak would be the best idea.”

Percy shrugged. “You'd have to find her. There's no telling what kind of dark hole that damn spirit crawled off to after Nico kicked her ass.”

Jason's brow furrowed. He was still unclear about that. Percy had to know, though. “Percy? How strong is Nico? He was... amazing the other night. Scary strong.”

Percy's smile had melted away. He licked his lips and leaned forward, lowering his voice. “Do you know how strong Gaea is?” He asked. Jason shook his head. “Gaea is the strongest witch since Merlin himself. She even achieved immortality. Your family didn't have it until she came along, but she's never told anyone how she did it.” Percy fixed Jason with a look. “In a fight between the two of them, Gaea would beat Nico on this plane. If they were beyond the veil...” Percy shook his head. “Nico would probably destroy her. He's strong. Yes. That's not even the right word. Gaea and Nico are scary strong. Like, our families have led the coven since Salem, but I don't hold a candle to Nico.” Green eyes stared over at the boy in question. “Jason, Nico is the second most powerful witch or warlock alive.”

\-------------------------------

Those words stuck with Jason to the next day. It was so hard to take in. His great-grandmother was the most powerful witch or warlock since Merlin himself. Which, to be honest, the fact that Merlin had been real was still hard to take in. But then there was the fact that he had feelings for the second most powerful witch or warlock alive. Jason knew that fact was probably contributed to Tartarus.

Tuesday did not prove to be any less chaotic. When Jason arrived, he found everyone gathered around a school bus, which was upside down in the middle of the courtyard. The bell had gone off in two minute intervals until third period, when they finally decided to disable them altogether. When Chiron tried to use the intercom to tell everyone about the bells, he was cut off by the intercoms blasting 'Never Gonna Give You Up'. At least the nephilim knew how to troll.

The real shocker came when Eros walked into English. If Jason had been drinking anything, he would have spit it out. Eros kept his head down and frowned severely as he took his seat beside Jason. Everyone was whispering. Probably because Eros' hair was bright pink!

“What... what happened?” Jason sputtered.

Eros looked like he wanted to cry. “I don't know. I just woke up with it like this yesterday. My parents let me stay home yesterday, but I had to come in today to take a test.” The green-eyed boy rubbed his nose. “I tried to wash it out, but it didn't work.”

The door closed as Ms. Hestia entered the room. “Okay, class-” There was a crash from the wall as a cross fell off the wall just as the woman passed. The woman grew pale as some of the kids whispered. “I'm sure it was nothing.”

It wasn't the last religious symbol to go crazy either. After class, a silver cross broke off from a girl's necklace as Kinzie passed her by. Khione managed to break an angel that Kelli had bought for her mother, who had apparently gotten warts all over her body. Speaking of Khione, the girl kept scratching around her thighs. Most people found it funny. Jason found out from Eros that she apparently found some leaves in her underwear drawer that turned out to be poison ivy. She did not notice them until she came home from school on Monday.

The town itself was also getting worse. Crosses from churches all over town had fallen down, even from the top of buildings. Mrs. Dodds had almost been crushed by one. The only red light in town had malfunctioned and stayed green for everyone, which had resulted in at least two wrecks. That had been shut down rather quickly. Jason could only imagine that, wherever the nephilim was, it was probably cackling.

When school finally let out, Jason met up with the others to get all the day's problems counted up. Not only had the mortals been targeted, but the coven kids as well. Some chemicals from her science class had fallen into Annabeth's backpack and ruined all her books. The back belt loop on Percy's pants had got caught on a door and had ripped a giant hole in the back. Not that anyone that thought Percy was attractive minded. Even the mortal girls stared at Percy's exposed boxers. Hazel found a whipped cream can in her locker, which promptly exploded in her face when she had opened it.

Bianca had found her car filled with mud when school let out. Travis and Connor had found cockroaches in their cereal that morning. When Luke had gone to pour himself a bowl, the milk had suddenly become curdled. The list went on. In fact, the only ones that had yet to have anything happen to them was Jason and Nico.

“Perhaps it's thanking you for letting it out,” mumbled Drew, bitterly. The girl had found paint on most of her clothes yesterday morning. Paint which not even Percy or Nico had been able to remove. It was still clear that the girl was bitter.

The others dispersed to go home, but Jason noticed Eros. The boy was sitting on the hood of his car, looking rather down. Jason jogged over to him. “Eros, everything okay?”

The boy looked up with a sigh. “My car won't start. This week just keeps getting better.” He shook his head. “You know, I don't really buy into the whole 'witch' thing, but even I have to admit that this is kind of weird.” The boy's eyes widened when Jason's lips tilted down. “Not that I think any of you had anything to do with it! That would be crazy. It just sucks. It's like the town is cursed.”

You have no idea, Jason thought to himself. “I'm sure everything will get better.” He motioned to his car. “Want a lift?”

Eros managed a small smile. “Would you mind?”

When they got to Eros' house, Jason arched a brow. “Um...”

There were a lot of beer bottles in the yard, not to mention that the yard looked soaked from water. Eros let out a sigh. “Pipes broke in the yard. Dad was supposed to call a plumber.” He opened the door. “Not sure about the beer bottles. That is new.” His brow furrowed. “But my dad hasn't had a drink in like a week.”

The door opened as Eros got out of the car. Eros' mother came outside, her hair and clothes soaking wet. “Oh, Eros! We have another leak in the house. Your dad went out to get some supplies and won't be back for another fifteen minutes. Would you mind helping?” She called.

“Sure,” Eros replied. He let out a breath and turned back to Jason. “Don't suppose the week is going to get better any time soon, is it?” And then he closed the door.

Jason sat there and watched Eros jog across the yard, doing his best to avoid puddles. His mother picked at his pink hair as he entered, which Eros batted her hands away. The woman looked back at Jason just as Eros shut the door. The blond sighed and sank down in his seat. He really hoped things could get better. They needed to find a solution. They needed to find that nephilim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty short chapter, at least in comparison to the others. And I know I forgot to write something into this chapter, but I can't remember what it was. I even held the chapter a day after finishing it to try and remember. Nothing. But I still have another chapter or two to try and remember. That being said, do expect something big to happen in two chapters. This is a bit of a filler chapter, only because I wanted to focus on the town's situation. Next chapter will get back, and not feel as rushed.
> 
> See? Eros' parents are still alive. You people are paranoid :)
> 
> Also, literally an hour after I posted the last chapter, I got a phone call to let me know my grandmother was about to pass away. So I spent a few days with my family. Then came home, got another call under a week later to let me know she had passed, drove back to my hometown for a few days, then came back home. Barely two weeks later, my cousin(who has been paralyzed for 16 years) passed away. So I've had a hectic past few weeks. My poor aunt, though. It was her mother and son that died, all in just two weeks. So, I do apologize for the wait, but that's what has been going on. Not to mention it probably has to do with the length of the fic, and probably why I can't focus.
> 
> My friend also talked me into going back to World of Warcraft, after not playing for 5 or 6 years. The new expansion is pretty fun, though. Also, the Captive Prince trilogy is really good. I highly recommend it for anyone that hasn't read it. Just be prepared for the graphic content.
> 
> On a note pertaining to the story, the Shadow Tribunal is like the first real thing I created for the story. I tried to keep most of the deities used to be things in pagan and supernatural culture. I just couldn't really find anything to meet what I was looking for. But I hope all of you did enjoy the chapter. Let me know your thoughts, and I will see you guys soon with an update. Not super soon, though, as I am going to be working on a Halloween fic. But I might put that off for after next chapter. We will see.


	19. I Can Do What Now?

With everything that was going on, Jason found it hard to concentrate. Tests were hard to focus on, and he kept zoning out during his magic lessons. With Thanksgiving coming up, and school being out for most of that week, the coven had made it very clear that Jason would spend those days learning. From morning until bed. “There is too much at stake here to have anyone in this coven vulnerable,” Gaea had told him last night.

There was still no sign of the nephilim, though its pranks had not let up in the least. Although, they were getting worse. A bridge had collapsed on Wednesday, which had been two days ago. The town was still working on repairing it. A field had caught on fire. That one didn't seem that strange, until the farm owner had been sure that he had doused the pile of leaves that he had been burning in water to make sure it had not spread. Then the man had woken up the next morning to the fire department on his property and half his fields and crops gone.

But not everything was bad. Apparently, the thing had a heart after all. Everyone that had been sick in the hospital miraculously woke up yesterday morning, completely cured. That also included someone with cancer. Unfortunately, at least for the coven, that last one reported she saw a winged angel standing over her when she woke up. She described large black wings and someone with shining blue eyes standing over her before disappearing into thin air. Everyone in town was chalking that up to the hand of God at work, but the coven knew better.

“Is it really such a bad thing to have this thing around?” Jason asked on Friday night, while the Firsts of the coven, with the exception of Kronos, were over at his house for their weekly studies. Jason, of course, had his own studies to work on, since he had years of catching up to do. “I mean, yeah, it is doing some pranks and stuff, but nobody has died.”

“Yet,” Silena muttered. She let out a sigh and looked up from the book she was reading. “Trust the coven in this, Jason, it's not something we want running around.”

Nico was watching Jason when the blond looked across the table at the brown-eyed boy. Nico pursed his lips. “It's like a nuclear bomb, Jason. None of us want it to go off in town.”

“It doesn't really seem concerned with exposing magic,” Jason pointed out.

“That's because it isn't,” Annabeth replied. She shut her book and stood up, walking over to where Jason sat. “Nephilim have never cared about exposing magic. Why would they? They don't truly exist on this plane. Gods and nephilim... they don't really care about us witches and warlocks. They may help us from time to time, but we are ultimately insignificant to them in the grand scheme of things.”

“The gods only do things for us from time to time because we give offerings to them,” Rachel added.

Will, who had just gotten into town a few hours ago, leaned back in his chair. “Nephilim just don't care in general.” The blond shrugged. “They never have.” Then the boy planted his forehead on the table and groaned. “Such a good thing I get to move into town right when this is happening.”

When it came time for everyone to leave, Jason walked Nico—who was the last to leave—to the door. The blond closed the door behind him and stepped out into the fall air. He was so used to the suffocating heat that it was nice to actually have to wrap his arms around himself. Nico didn't seem to be bothered by the chill in the air at all.

“Nico?” Jason asked as the boy took the first step down the steps. “What happens if the coven can't find it?”

Nico stopped and turned to face Jason. His expression told Jason all he needed to know. “Let's hope it won't come to that.”

“But, like, the coven won't destroy the town... will they?”

Frowning, Nico brushed some hair behind his ear. “Our coven won't.” His eyes finally met Jason's. “I can't say the same for the High Coven. They've purged cities for less in the past.” Those dark eyes followed Jason as the blond came to lean against one of the pillars by the steps. “It would be bad. They'd send their inquisitors to find out what can be done. If they couldn't find any solution, they'd purge the town just to be safe.” His lips slowly tilted down. “And then they would probably cart me back to Europe to stand trial before the High Coven.”

“For being born?” Jason's brow furrowed. “Even if Tartarus did use dark magic to help save you, it isn't your fault.” Nico didn't look at him. “What kind of assholes are they to call themselves leaders of the magical world?”

That got a smile from Nico, who finally looked up. “Well, for one thing, your great-grandmother sits on the high coven.” Nico shrugged. “You get a spot for being the most powerful witch alive.”

And what about the second most powerful witch or warlock? Jason wanted to ask that, but he didn't. He couldn't betray Percy's trust. Instead, the blond moved down to stand on the same step as Nico. The boy shifted a step back from him. “I won't let them take you,” he finally whispered.

“Don't make someone a promise...” Nico's dark eyes peered up at Jason, “if you know you can't keep it.” Taking in a deep breath, Nico descended the other two stairs, only to stop when Jason followed him. “Jason, you have a whole weekend of lessons. You should get some rest.”

Screw sleep. “Why would they want to do anything to you?”

For a moment, Jason wasn't sure Nico would answer. But then the boy took in a breath and turned around. “Do you have any idea what kind of dark magic hides beneath my veins?” Nico asked in a dark voice, sending chills down Jason's spine. “You don't even know the half of what Tartarus did, of what he made me into. You don't even know what Gaea planned to do with him... to me.”

When Nico turned around, Jason scowled. “Neither do you,” he said sternly. Nico froze. “Not according to the nephilim.”

Nico turned back and scowled at him. “We aren't discussing this. I'm not fighting with you.” Shadows began to form around Nico and Jason knew that Nico was about to vanish.

“No!” Jason shouted. Nico's eyes were surprised to find Jason's firm grasp on his arm. “Talk to me dammit. Having all of this happen with you around is one thing, but I can't do this by myself! I'm having to deal with gods, nephilim, and dead relatives! Not to mention that not too long ago, I didn't even know magic existed!” Jason let go of Nico's arm, who stood frozen in place. “I'm going insane with all this. With this curse. With trying to keep up with everything. I don't know how much more I can take. But you know what I do find comforting? Having you around to talk to me. I get that you're scared right now... that you're frustrated about this curse. Well guess what, so am I! I'm fine with us not dating, if that's what you want right now, but I thought that we could at least be friends.” Jason finally took a breath and turned around, running a hand through his hair as he stared up at the sky. “Maybe I was wrong.”

There was a long silence that followed, where Jason just stared up at the sky. It wasn't like home, back in California. Here, especially out in the country, he could see all the stars so clearly. It was peaceful out here. If only his were life were as peaceful.

Nico finally came to stand beside him. “I'm sorry,” he said quietly. He bumped Jason's shoulder softly. “You're right. This is a lot... even for me.”

The two sat down on the steps, though Jason continued to stare up at the stars. He wasn't sure what he was doing. What kind of screwed up existence was this? He had just learned about magic, and now he felt like he was standing on the verge of chaos. It was too much to take in. How he had made it this long without exploding was beyond him. He had Nico. There was that. He had been so distracted by Nico, about his new infatuation, that he had let himself diminish the real severity of his situation. Between Circe and the nephilim, what were the chances that he would even survive until graduation?

Maybe he should leave after he finished high school. This was new to him. Perhaps it was too much. But there was the curse. Both of them. There was no escaping that. No, it was best that he stayed with the coven. It was where he was safest. For whatever reason, Circe wanted him. Wanted Jason, Nico, and another. The question was who?

Jason let out a chuckle as he buried his face in his hands, groaning. “I just... I'm still trying to get a grasp of my powers. I can't deal with Circe, let alone some nephilim.”

“Leave that to the adults,” Nico said quietly. He turned his head to look at Jason. “For now, try letting your emotions do the work for you. Your magic will come easier that way, at least until you get the hang of it.” He gave a small smile. “You're mad at me, maybe you could use that.”

“I'm not...” Jason frowned. “I'm not mad at you. Just frustrated.” The blond pulled his legs up to his chest and rested his chin on his knees. “After all this time, I find out you are real... this boy that I had dreamed about all these years. And now you don't even want to be with me.”

Nico's brow furrowed. “Not right now.” The brown-eyed boy reached over and fixed some of Jason's hair. “When this is all over, we can give things a try. Like you said, things are a little crazy right now. My problems aside, I think I would be a distraction for you right now.”

A small smile touched Jason's mouth as he looked at Nico, leaning in to the boy's touch. “A good distraction.”

“You're such a dork.” Nico smiled, but pulled his hand away. Letting out a heavy sigh, the boy stood up. “I should probably get going.”

Jason nodded and stood up. He reached out and took Nico's hand. The boy arched a brow at him. Without saying anything, Jason pulled Nico in for a hug. It lasted for longer than what was deemed friendly, but Jason didn't care. He just wanted to take Nico in. All of him. The feel of him. His smell. Just everything.

Nico softly pulled back and looked up at the blond, smiling a little. Jason wanted to kiss him so bad. It stung, really, to let go of Nico. “I do care about you, don't think that I don't,” Nico whispered. Even though he wouldn't look at Jason, the blond knew he was blushing. “I think about you a lot. Probably more than I should.”

Jason softly bit down on his lip. “About last weekend?” He asked gently.

His answer came in the form of a hitched breath from Nico. Maybe it was their connection, but Jason could practically feel Nico's body shudder. His dark eyes were dilated when he looked up. Nico's eyes watched Jason's mouth like a predator.

Smiling, Jason leaned in. “I thought you just wanted to be friends for now?” He whispered.

Nico narrowed his eyes and smacked Jason. “Jerk.” He then smiled and took a step back. “I'll try and see you tomorrow, if you're not too busy.” Jason nodded.

By the time Jason had blinked, Nico was gone. He let out his breath through his nose and his head fell back. This was going to be rough. Maybe the coven could find the nephilim soon. If that was out of the way, perhaps he could revisit the idea of dating with Nico. They couldn't just be friends, Jason knew that.

Later that night, Jason dreamed about Tartarus. There was just one thing missing that was normally there. Kronos. His dreams had always revolved around Kronos, with the exception of one of the early dreams from when he moved here, but his grandfather was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Tartarus sat at a newly polished table with his mother and father. None of them were talking. The scene was tense.

“You didn't season this enough,” the father finally said. He snapped his fingers and reached out. “Pass me some salt, Nyx.”

The woman seemed slightly irritated, but got up and grabbed the salt. “You have magic. Why don't you use it?”

Dropping his fork, Tartarus' father glared at his wife. “I didn't see you asking me to use it when our daughter was being hanged.”

“She killed innocents, Erebus!” Nyx shouted. “It was out of our control.” She reached across the table and grabbed Tartarus' hand. The boy didn't look up. “They may have come for our son next.”

Erebus sat back in his chair, casting a dark look in his son's direction. “My son... my heir. Don't think that I don't know what has being going on with you and that bastard son of-”

“Don't talk about him like that!” Tartarus finally snapped, sending plates flying from the table. The door to the dining room slammed shut and candles flickered. Erebus didn't seem bothered. “It was just rumors. You know that Kronos was betrothed to Circe.”

His father grumbled and took a bite of his food. “Do not let yourself grow complacent. Once things get settled, your mother and I will produce another child. One that is truly worthy of my legacy.”

Nyx waved her hand towards her, pulling Erebus' plate away from him as the warlock was trying to eat. “Do you not think that you should discuss these things with your wife?” She motioned across the table. “Tartarus is worthy. More than worthy. Gaea herself has even said that he is already more powerful than-”

“Silence!” Erebus shot up from his chair in a fury. His eyes were so venomous as he pointed a finger at Tartarus. “Leave us. Now!”

Locking his jaw, Tartarus vanished in a cloud of shadows. He reappeared in his room, where he shut his eyes and cradled his head. Yelling in frustration, the room exploded in chaos. Papers went flying, a broom fell from the wall, a chair slid across the floor, and books fell from their shelves. As he sat down on his bed, one of the books shot open and the pages started turning. Tartarus stared curiously at it.

When it stopped, Tartarus got up and crouched down on the floor. Tartarus' eyes looked up from the book, deep in thought. It wasn't until Tartarus turned to walk to his desk that Jason got a look at the cover. He had seen that book before. It was the one that Gaea had in one of his prior dreams.

Jason's eyes snapped open, only to find himself out of bed. Not only that, but he wasn't even in the house anymore. Jason was standing in the sanctuary of Mellie's church. The moon illuminated the room, casting the light upon the cross that sat in front of the podium. The room looked so normal after the goats had been cleared out. There were some scuffs and a few spots in the pews were missing pieces of cushion, but ultimately normal.

But how had he gotten here?

Did he sleepwalk all the way into town? Jason didn't understand. He had never been a sleepwalker before coming to Aimes. Letting out a sigh, Jason turned to leave. He needed to get home. He groaned when he realized that he was standing there in a T-shirt and boxers. He didn't have his key on him. Maybe he could wake Kronos up when he got home.

Right as he was about to leave, laughter broke out across the sanctuary. It came from all around him. Shadows moved across the walls and windows. “Poor little Jason,” came a indistinguishable voice.

Jason saw something move behind him and spun around. All across the front of the church was the shadow of giant wings. Jason whipped his head up towards the balcony, but nothing was there. More laughter. The wings were still plastered across the front of the sanctuary.

“What do you want?” Jason finally asked.

“For someone so untouched by this madness, I would expect a little less tone from you, mister.” There was no gender to this voice. In fact, it was like he heard both a girl and boy talking at once. Like music. Strings being plucked on a harp. “You look like some lost puppy, not sure how he got out on the streets.”

Jason glared at the shadow on the wall. “Did you bring me here?”

“Me?” The nephilim's voice laughed. “You did this to yourself.” Jason jumped when he felt something touch the back of his neck, but nothing was there. “Granddad hasn't had the heart to heart about the extent of your magic? If you don't know how to bend time, you end up in some of the weirdest places.”

There was no way Jason had just heard that right. “Time... travel. I time traveled?”

He never saw a hand, but he felt it hit him upside the head. “Come now, Jason, how can you be so smart and be so dense?” More laughter. “Then again, it's that denseness that I can thank for letting me do my getaway.” Jason felt hands grip his shoulders. “But isn't this just so much fun? Or was fun, I should say.”

That did not sound ominous at all. Jason's brow furrowed. “What's that supposed to mean?”

A yawn echoed all throughout the sanctuary. “It's just so,” the thing drew out the 'so' for quiet some time, “boring. I mean, really, these people are such sticks in the mud. How about we see what kind of fun I can really...” Thunder cracked outside, “have.”

Laughter came from all around him before slowly fading away. The shadows were gone and so was the nephilim.

\-----------------------------

The door opened to a groggy Kronos, rubbing his eyes. His looked turned to confusion when he found Jason standing out there, shifting back and forth. “If you are going to go attempt to climb into Nico's window, perhaps you should put on some pants first,” the warlock mumbled as he stepped aside to let Jason inside. “And perhaps remember to bring keys with you. Remind me to teach you some practical uses for your magic.”

“I didn't forget my keys.” Jason moved into the the living room to grab a blanket off the back of the couch. “I woke up in a church after having a dream. Well, maybe not a dream.” His brow furrowed as he looked at Kronos. “I time traveled.”

That seemed to wake Kronos up. “Really? Are you sure?”

“That's what the nep-” Jason shut his mouth. But it was a little too late for that. “The nephilim told me.”

Kronos was searching Jason's eyes. He snapped his fingers and the fireplace sprang to life. “And when exactly did you see the nephilim?”

Taking in a deep breath, Jason wrapped the blanket around his shoulders and moved to sit in front of the fire. “It was in the church when I woke up. I don't understand. I thought they were just dreams, but then tonight I didn't even dream about you. I dreamed about Tartarus.”

Kronos stiffened. “What about him?”

“Just... some issues with his father.”

“There were a lot of those,” Kronos mumbled.

“It was after Circe died. Erebus seemed to want to have another child.” Jason looked up. His grandfather had grown rather pale. “You okay?”

Kronos shook his head to clear his thoughts and turned to look at Jason. “Me? Yes, I am fine.” He sat down on the arm of the couch. “I would assume that you didn't fully time travel. That would require your physical body to move through time. Obviously, it felt the pull and tried to, but you don't know how to control your magic. Hence why you end up in random places upon 'waking up'.” Kronos tilted his head back with a sigh. “Perhaps it's a good thing. Don't need you getting stuck in the past with no way back. It would make sense, though. Your spirit does the time travel, which is why Nico sometimes shows up in these 'dreams' of yours. You'll have to work on that if you ever wish to view the past by yourself.”

“What about the future? Can I go there? Or see it?”

There was a pause from Kronos. “I'll need to find you some source material. Precognition and time travel are similar, but you can go to and see the past and the future. Or even the present. Hera and her house can only view the future, which is never set in stone.” His eyes narrowed as they refocused on the blond in front of him. “Just remember, for when you do learn how to physically go to the past, that you can change what happens. You may even feel the need to do so, but you have to resist that temptation. We do not mess with the flow of time and its events. Understood?”

“Yes,” Jason nodded. He did not meet Kronos' eyes, though. Why wouldn't Kronos want to change the past? Maybe he could have saved Tartarus from his fate.

“Stop.” Kronos got up and came to stand in front of Jason. “I know what you are thinking, but you can't. I can't. What's done is done.”

“But-”

“If I had saved Tartarus, there is no telling what might have changed.” Kronos crossed his arms and began to pace. “By saving Tartarus, I could have prevented your father or Hades from being born. You or Nico wouldn't have been born. There is no telling what would have been different.” Smirking, he leaned down to poke Jason in the head. “Use your brain. Do not make things worse by trying to fix it.”

Slowly, Jason nodded. Maybe Kronos was right. He didn't want to lose Nico. Maybe that was selfish, but it was his own life at stake as well. “I understand.” Jason stood up and removed the blanket, folding it up. “But about the nephilim.” Kronos arched a brow at him. “I think that it's about to get worse in Aimes.”

\--------------------------------------------

Saturday night, Jason went out with Nico and Reyna to look for the nephilim. They had decided to stop and get something to eat before their hunt. Originally, it was just going to be Reyna and Nico, but then the witch had invited Jason along. Probably without asking Nico first. She sensed trouble in paradise. In fact, that was the first thing she brought up when Nico went to the bathroom.

“You shouldn't let him push you into the friend zone,” Reyna said plainly.

Jason pouted at that. “I'm not in the friend zone. We are just... friends...” Jason sighed when Reyna arched an eyebrow at him. “He just needs some space.”

“No, he is stubborn, and you are letting him be.” Reyna glanced in the direction of the bathrooms when she noticed Nico coming back. “Just don't get to complacent. He's happier with you. I like seeing him happy.” Reyna narrowed her gaze. “So don't let me down.”

Somehow, Jason found himself more scared of Reyna than he had been watching Nico destroy Circe last weekend.

Nico calmly sat down and placed his hands on the table. “Jason, could you come with me to the bathroom for a moment?” He asked just as calmly.

“Um, sure?” Jason got up and gave Reyna a strange look. The girl just shrugged.

Nico led Jason to the bathroom, where he pushed Jason inside and held the door, so that nobody could get in. “Open the stall please.”

Why were they in here exactly? Jason stared strangely at Nico, but made his way over to the stall. Maybe the bathroom just wasn't clean. Okay, Nico had magic, he was surely capable of-

Jason slammed the stall shut before he got his face bitten off. His eyes were wide as he moved away from the stall and leaned against the sink. “There's an alligator in there.” Nico gave a nod in response. “Why is there an alligator in there?”

Nico gave him a dull look. “Gee, let me go ask it.” He shook his head. “How do you think it got in there?” The boy chewed on his lip as he stared at the stall. Then he pulled out his phone. “I need Luke.”

“Can't you just make it disappear?”

“No.” Nico was already dialing Luke's number. “Already tried. Just made it angrier.” The brown-eyed boy let out a breath. “Luke, can you come to me right now? There's a problem I need your help with.”

The window burst open and in came a gust of wind. Then Luke was standing beside Jason, still holding a chicken drumstick in his hand. “I was in the middle of dinner, you know.”

“Good, I can use that.” Nico had snatched the chicken from Luke and tossed it over the stall door.

“What's in there?” Luke inquired.

“Alligator,” both Nico and Jason replied.

“Ah,” Luke nodded. “Of course it is. Nothing is ever just normal around here.” Taking in a breath, Luke pushed the stall open. The alligator was gulping down the chicken. Luke scowled at it. “Penelope made that. You know she makes some good chicken, Nico.”

Nico fixed the blond with a dull look. “I'm sure she has more waiting for you back home.”

“Fine, fine.” Luke cracked his knuckles. “What do you want it to be?”

Tapping a finger to his lip, Nico glanced over at the alligator. “Dog? I figure that would cause the least amount of alarm.”

With a nod, Luke quickly reached out and touched the alligator on the head. Jason watched in amazement as its body shifted until a pug was seated on the toilet. Luke smirked and moved in to pick the dog up under his arm. Luke held the dog towards Jason. “Want to pet it?”

Slowly, Jason reached out and scratched the dog behind its ear. “So... what is your power exactly?” He asked.

“Illusion,” Luke replied. “Make things appear differently than what they are, or simply just change the form of something.” He shrugged. “It's why my brothers were so obsessed over string the night you got taken to the police station. It's also how they pull off their magic tricks. Although...” He glanced between Jason and Nico, “I guess we know now why their trick wouldn't work on Jason. Two of hearts. Your curse.”

They emerged from the bathroom and received a few stares. Luke left with the dog. “He'll take it and drive it somewhere safe. The illusion spell will only last a few hours, then it'll revert back to its normal self,” Nico explained.

“What was that thing exactly?” Reyna asked.

Nico took a sip of his coffee. “Alligator.”

Reyna gave a nod. “Awesome.”

After they ate, the three of them went on patrol. Jason arched a brow when they parked outside Mellie's house. They didn't get out, though. Jason was going to ask Nico what they were doing out here, but he stopped when he turned around. Nico's head was tilted back, his mouth slightly open. His eyes were as dark as his hair.

Jason glanced at Reyna. “What's he doing?”

“Searching.” Reyna stared at Nico in the rear view mirror. “He's searching the souls of all the houses in the neighborhood. The coven is convinced that they are just overlooking an extra soul. The closest we've been able to trace it is the surrounding neighborhood here.” She nodded to Mellie's house. “Ms. Mellie won't mind that we are here. We told her to go out tonight, just in case, though. I think she has a date.”

“With who?”

Reyna snorted. “Coach Hedge, of course. They've been flirting for years.”

That was... surprising. He just had never really pictured Mellie and Hedge together. Mellie was just quiet and peaceful, and Hedge was full of aggression and always spoke in a raised tone. As long as she was happy, Jason supposed.

There was an intake of breath from the backseat. Both Jason and Reyna turned their heads to look at Nico, who was sitting upright again. The boy shook his head to Reyna. “Nothing,” he whispered. “There's just nothing out of the ordinary.”

“But you guys know it's somewhere around here?” Jason asked.

Nico nodded. “I can feel that, at least. It's giving off a lot of magic right now, but the radius is too big to pinpoint anything.”

Reyna glanced out her window. “What do you think it's up to?” She turned back to the other two. “It has to be something big to give off a lot of power.”

“I don't-” Nico froze, his eyes focused on windshield.

Jason and Reyna followed his gaze. “Oh my god,” Jason whispered. Thick dark clouds swept across the horizon. It had been so clear when they left the diner, and now the moon and the stars were slowly being blotted out. Reyna was forced to turn on the headlights to see anything.

If that wasn't bad enough, like a wave, the power slowly went out across the block. Jason opened his door and the others followed. They all stared around them. People were coming out of their homes. The entire horizon was dark. Jason could barely even see Nico standing beside him. All of Aimes had just lost its electricity.

“Should we get back in the car?” Jason asked.

“We'll be fine,” Reyna replied. “It's too dark for anyone to see us.” After a pause, she added, “Unless you step in front of the headlights.”

Nico was being quiet. What if the nephilim kept it like this? How long were they going to be without power? “I guess now we know why the nephilim cured everyone in the hospital,” Nico finally mumbled. He let out a sigh. “Why do I feel like we are on the verge of another Egypt?”

“Wait,” Jason snapped his head around, “that actually happened?”

Reyna motioned for them to get back in the car and they drove. “Of course. Christians would be horrified to find out that Moses made a deal with something that they would call a demon, but it happened. We did tell you that nephilim love making deals that involve firstborns.” Reyna gave Jason a chilling look. “There are horror stories about what the nephilim did to Moses as payment for their bidding. Plagues and parting a sea for him... it kind of gets costly. If they are going to-”

“Reyna, watch out!” Nico yelled.

Reyna slammed on her breaks as she noticed the child standing in the road. It was too late. The car hit the little girl head on and she slammed up into the windshield before rolling over the top of the car. The car skidded to a halt and all three of them jumped out. Jason pulled out his phone and used it as a flashlight. He pointed it everywhere.

The girl was gone.

Reyna was trying to catch her breath as she moved to the front of the car. Jason moved his light to shine on it. The glass was fine. There were no cracks. No sign of any damage. Reyna growled and kicked her tire. “I will kill that thing if I ever get my hands on it.”

\----------------------------------

On Monday, the senior class took a Biology field trip to a nearby swamp to study some of the ecosystems around there. They had all been outfitted with rubber boots and overalls that they had to tuck into the boots. People were cranky and tired. From what he was overhearing, people in town weren't sleeping that well. The power was still out, which meant food was going bad. The coven was able to keep their perishables magically preserved, but nobody else was that lucky. The sky had not cleared up either, which meant that it was a very gray day for them.

The coven was lucky in other ways. They still had the use of hot water, the mortals didn't. None of them were allowed to magically dry their hair, though. Since the power was out, everyone in town had to naturally dry their hair. For the men around town, it wasn't a problem. A lot of the women weren't so happy.

Unfortunately, Nico was still a junior, so Jason wouldn't see the boy until later tonight. Not that it really mattered, he guessed, since Nico was trying to keep things platonic. At least there were still plenty of coven kids in his senior class.

He sat between Percy and Reyna on the way there. Luke sat between Annabeth and Eros in front of them. Eros had been running late, which landed him in the seat next to the blond. Not that the boy seemed to mind, and neither did Luke. The teacher had excused Eros' tardiness, as they had to do. Without power, nobody could charge their phones. No alarms could be set on their phones or digital clocks. Everyone in town had to go out and buy battery powered ones.

The teacher had already imposed a no talking policy. It was surprising that he had, honestly. The coven was already getting harassed by the town. Chiron was enforcing a strict no tolerance policy for any form of bullying until further notice.

When they got there, it took a while to get off the bus. The teacher and bus driver were already out there, talking to themselves. “What do you think they are talking about?” Percy whispered quietly.

Annabeth was already on her phone. “You should look at the environment.”

Jason's brow furrowed as he and Percy pressed themselves against the window. Annabeth was right. Everything looked dead. The trees were twisted abnormally, the grass had all died, bark had fallen off the trees, and the swamp was strangely bubbling.

It took five minutes for the teacher to allow them off the bus. “Okay, class, today I have a different assignment for all of you. Due to the nature of the swamp, I want samples collected from all over.” He started handing out bags and vials. “Get what you can, just be safe.”

Percy had instantly called Jason as his partner. “Fine,” Luke chuckled, “I'll keep the ladies company.” His eyes were wandering elsewhere. Over to Eros. The boy's hair was still bright pink.

Reyna nudged Luke. “You sure you don't want another partner?”

There was a groan from Luke. “I think it best if he stay away from me right now. I do like that he's being more sociable, but we are targets right now.” He smiled when Eros waved over at them. Luke waved back. “Not to mention we have bigger issues than a hateful town to deal with right now.”

Percy and Jason had waded a few feet into the swamp. “Percy?” Jason asked after a few minutes. There was just something bothering him after getting off the bus. The raven haired boy turned around. “Do you hear anything?”

Standing there for a moment, Percy finally shook his head. “Am I supposed to hear something?”

“I don't know, maybe bugs. I haven't even seen any wildlife.”

Percy shrugged. “Maybe the bus scared them off.”

Pursing his lips, Jason sighed. “Maybe,” he mumbled. It just didn't feel right. The whole town didn't feel right. What Reyna had said about Egypt last night bothered him. What if the nephilim decided to recreate that here? It had said things were going to get more 'interesting'.

He was a little too distracted, not noticing Percy, and nearly bumped into the other boy. The green-eyed boy slowly turned around, eyebrow arched. “I know I have a nice butt, Jason, but you don't have to go around feeling it.”

Jason tilted his head to the side. “What are you talking about?” Jason held his hands up, which were holding their supplies. “My hands are a little full right now.”

Brows furrowing, Percy stuck his hand under the swamp water. “Then what's rubbing against my-” The boy's eyes shot open wide, as did Jason's, as Percy pulled a dead raccoon out of the swamp. With a quick yell, Percy tossed it as hard as he could. “Do me a favor. Don't ask about missing animals again!”

“How about missing people?” Came Khione's irritating voice. Kelli was smirking beside her.

“Go down some swamp water, Khione,” Percy shot back. “A swamp monster look might actually be an improvement.”

“You're so funny, Percy Jackson.” Khione's eyes reminded Jason a lot of ice, just like her voice most of the time. Also like nails on a chalkboard, but that was another matter. “Grace's little boy toy probably belongs in a swamp. Weird little demon.”

Jason's lip twitched. “Don't talk about Nico.”

“How cute,” Kelli smiled, so sickly sweet, but laced with venom. “We all thought you enthralled by the weirdo. Turns out you're just one of them.” She laughed a little. “Who knew your grandpa was the weird shut in that nobody has heard from in years.”

Percy managed to catch Jason by the shoulder. “You know, it's funny, I don't think we've ever provoked any of you, yet you guys just go out of your way to come make us miserable. Or try to.” Percy grinned. “And thanks to Eros' little confession the other day, we know Saint Khione is so fake. I don't think they condone premarital sex in church, you know.”

That had Khione fuming. Smirking to himself, Percy grabbed Jason by the shoulders and began to push the blond in the other direction. But Khione wasn't going to let Percy have the last word. “You know what, Percy Jackson?”

Percy turned and arched an eyebrow at the girl, amused. “What?”

Right as Khione was opening her mouth, something shot out of the swamp and grabbed Khione around the waist. It was completely covered in mud and swamp gunk, but was shaped like a man. Khione yelled right as she was dragged under. Kelli screamed and backed away as Jason and Percy shot forward to try and grab Khione.

They managed to pull Khione up without any trouble, though. Jason kicked around under the swamp, but he felt nothing. He shared a look with Percy, who had a dark look in his eyes. This was bad. Khione let out a horrible screech as she looked down at herself. “How am I supposed to get all of this out of my hair?” She yelled.

“What the hell was that?” Kelli yelled as well.

“How am I supposed to know?” Percy snapped. He shoved Khione at her friend. “We should get back to the others.”

The entire way back, Jason kept checking over his shoulder. He knew it was the nephilim and that if the thing didn't want to be seen they wouldn't see it, but that didn't stop him from looking. He was starting to miss his old life. His normal life. Before magic. This was just insane. Nephilim were insane.

Everyone was already gathered at the bus when they returned. Khione wheeled around on them in front of the bus, glaring hatefully. “I don't know how you two did it, but I know you somehow nearly drowned me.”

Jason leaned forward. “In case you missed it, we are the ones that pulled you back up. Kelli here ran off and was going to leave you.”

Kelli's mouth floundered when Khione glared at her. “I was... going to get help. You know, like a responsible person.”

Khione rolled her eyes. “Probably did it so you two could look like the heroes. I'm not stupid. If you think that I...”

Jason was no longer listening. His eyes had drifted behind Khione. Kinzie was walking by with Octavian, but that was not what caught his attention. It was what was on the side of the bus. A long shadow of a figure with black wings, following along as Kinzie moved.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Percy shook his shoulder. “You okay, man? Good job freaking Khione out enough to leave, but you're scaring me a bit.”

“Percy, look at-” Jason's words caught in his throat. There was nothing on the bus when he looked again. Kinzie caught him staring and gave him a strange look before walking over to where Eros was writing down notes on his findings. “Percy, do you think Kinzie could be possessed by the nephilim?”

“Uh...” Percy glanced over at the girl. “I mean, I guess. I don't know. Nico said he checked everyone out at school. Nothing out of the ordinary.” He arched a brow. “Why?”

“Just-” Jason nearly jumped again when Luke clapped him on the shoulder. “Jesus, Luke, I wish people would stop doing that.”

“Sorry?” Luke cocked his head to the side. He then stepped aside and let Annabeth and Reyna through. “We might have seen something.” He motioned over to Drew, Will—who had just started school at Aimes today—and Rachel.

Drew had pulled Will over as her partner that morning, but Will had begged Rachel to not abandon him, so they three had paired up. Will was practically using Rachel as a shield when they got over to the others.

“So,” Annabeth began, “we were out in the woods, collecting samples like we were supposed to...”

“When we saw this thing,” Reyna added. She shook her head. “It was weird. Like even weird by our standards. This human-like figure that was skinned alive and still moving.”

Luke gave a nod. “Not entirely the weirdest part, though. When we saw it, the thing was drinking out of the swamp like an animal. Reyna called out to it-”

“And it ran off on all fours. We chased after it, but it was gone,” Reyna continued. “This nephilim is messing with us.”

Percy and Jason exchanged a look. “We... sort of had our own run in,” Jason mentioned.

The duo explained to the others what they had experienced on the ride back to school. Needless to say, after hearing strange experiences from most of the class, the teacher had no choice but to take them back. Nico was waiting for them on a bench when they got back.

After Jason approached him, Nico nodded his head for the others to keep going. Percy wanted to object, but Luke and Reyna grabbed the green-eyed boy and took him inside. “Hey,” Jason said softly as he stood in front of Nico.

“Hey.” Nico took in a breath. “Have a fun time?”

“Uh...” Jason shifted his weight. “The others can tell you about it later. Something up?”

Nico rubbed his neck. “School's been crazy. I am starving, which is weird coming from me.”

Jason pulled an energy bar out of his backpack and handed it to Nico. “I have this, if you want it.” Nico reached for it, but then stopped himself. “What's wrong?”

Slowly withdrawing his hand, Nico let his mouth fall into a thin line. “I can't eat. I know, I don't normally eat a lot, but I just can't eat.” His dark eyes glanced up at Jason. “Everything I try to eat looks like maggots or rotting flesh. I tried eating what the cafeteria had, summoning food, and sneaking off to try and get something. Nothing works. And I am actually starving.” Nico's brow furrowed as Jason began to unwrap the energy bar. “I told you-”

“Just don't look at it,” Jason replied with a smile. He sat down next to Nico, energy bar behind his back. “Close your eyes. I'll feed you.” Nico narrowed his eyes. “Just trust me. It'll be fine.”

For a moment, Jason wasn't sure if Nico was going to go along with it. But then Nico let out a huff and closed his eyes, dramatically opening his mouth. It made Jason smile. It was wrong to stare at Nico when he should be feeding him, but the blond couldn't help it. He liked admiring Nico. His soft skin and the way his hair slightly fell into his face. And his soft pale lips. Lips that he had kissed not so long ago.

Clearing his throat, Jason pulled the energy bar from behind his back. He broke off a piece and held it up to Nico's lips. Nico shuddered and pulled away. “It feels like something is crawling in my mouth.”

Jason let out a sigh. “Can you just try to eat it? You don't need to starve. Right now, you need your strength. I think things are only going to keep getting worse until we catch that nephilim.” Nico stared back at him, then glanced at the food and chewed on his lip. Jason frowned. “Please? For me?”

The pale boy's shoulders slumped and then he nodded. He took the energy bar from Jason and shut his eyes, shoving most of it into his mouth and chewing. Nico made a face with each bite. He swallowed and then pulled a bottle of water out of his backpack, quickly downing it.

“That was gross,” Nico said. “Trust me, I've had to eat a lot of weird things as far as potions go. Rotting flesh and live maggots are disgusting.”

“Did it taste like flesh?”

Letting out a breath, Nico stood up. “No. Thankfully.”

Jason smiled and stood up. They headed inside, Jason holding the door open for Nico. They might just be friends, but Jason was still going to walk Nico to class. He still wanted to be around Nico as much as possible. Maybe that was the curse influencing him, but he just couldn't bring himself to care. Being around Nico was like a drug, and he was currently high.

A scream of bloody murder rang out through the halls. The two shared one quick glance before they ran in the direction of the scream. Mellie had her head in her lap when they burst into the office. Students were crowded at the windows, wondering why Ms. Mellie had screamed. The office seemed to be empty, though.

Some candles covered the counter and Mellie's desk. There was a ton of paperwork on her desk, since there was no electricity to use the computer. But the office looked normal. Nobody in there but the three of them.

Jason crouched down next to Mellie. “Are you okay? What's wrong?”

“In there!” She said in panic, motioning wildly to her desk drawer.

Frowning, Nico reached down and pulled the drawer open. There were some pens, a stapler, and a can of air freshener. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nico closed the drawer. “What exactly did you see in there?”

Mellie shot up in her chair, panic and tears in her eyes. “Babies! There are babies crammed all in there. The poor things never had a chance. Who could be so horrible, just shoving their lifeless bodies in there like that?” She pulled some tissues from a box on her desk. “I just- It couldn't have...” Her eyes darted to Jason and Nico, her mouth hanging slightly open. “Oh dear... It knows.”

Jason's brow furrowed as he leaned in, rubbing Mellie's back. “Who? What does it know?”

Shooting up from her desk, Mellie shoved a few things into her purse before pulling keys from it. “I am going to have to take the rest of the day off. I need to see my doctor.” She grabbed her sweater from the back of her chair and then squeezed Jason's shoulder. “Be careful, Jason. This thing... Just be careful.”

The two of them watched as Mellie fled from the office. Frowning to himself, Nico opened the drawer again. There were no babies. Dark eyes flickered up to meet Jason's blue ones. This was bad. They both knew it. He didn't know what was up with Mellie, but Jason should probably find out. But, most of all, they needed to find the nephilim. The coven was right. It was too dangerous to have roaming around Aimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good news, everyone! Another chapter. Well, that was obvious. Also good news, you get to all finally rest easy knowing where the nephilim is in the next chapter. At least that's the plan. But we all know how well plans can hold up. I'm excited to write the next chapter or two, because you get to see the nephilim without something containing it or it hiding. As you can see this chapter, it can do some twisted things. That'll will be more prevalent next chapter, or the following one depending on where I leave the next chapter. 
> 
> Another piece of good news. I actually should have enough story with where it left off at the end of 17 that I might be able to make a book. The plan was never to make all of this fic into one book. That would be crazy. House of the Wicked is going to be too big, just on its own. Not counting the sequel. My plan is six books in total, the entirety of this fic and its sequel. Which means that, more likely than not, the last three books will only be just that. Books. I also have no idea if I'll put all of the fic out before it turns into a book. If that is the case, I hope you all know that the fic would have to leave off where it is at that time and only continue in book form. Because I want to finance myself as much as possible off writing books, and it would be hurtful to myself to a complete full version of the story out there for free use. I don't plan on taking down whatever is up, unless I'm forced to by publishers or whoever, but I just wanted to make sure all of you understood that. Because I do recall reading a comment about someone that would only read this in fic form, and that person needs to understand that they most likely won't get to finish the story if they do that.
> 
> I'm also already working on the characters. Obviously, nobody will be the same name when it turns into a book. Copyright would have my ass. I'm also going to be changing appearances. Nico will likely remain similar in appearance, as will Jason. At least hair colors. I do have a name picked out for Nico as well, but I don't really want to reveal what it is. I will be letting everyone know how I'm doing with the book as I work through the process of getting it published, and you still will get updates as this goes on. I will let everyone know when it comes time to stop because the story is a book. If that time ever comes. Who knows, publishers might hate the concept of this story. I will just appreciate all the support you guys can give me when/if it does get published. I would really like to see it published. Also, do not worry, neither Jason or Nico will be changing genders. 
> 
> But that is all. I hope I didn't overwhelm anyone with that. It's a lot for myself to take in. And I do hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Jason can time travel. Surprise. Those weren't just dreams. This will be pretty important farther down the road. I'm going to go back to work on my Halloween fic before I turn in for the night, but I just wanted to post this update. I really do appreciate all the support you guys have given me with all my writing. And I'm glad people pushed me to pick this story back up, because I feel the story is much better this time around. And I hope it'll be even better when I tune it up a bit for the book. Maybe by this time next year, I can have the first book on some book shelves. And I will also do my best to make sure it is as available as possible to purchase. Physical and digital. Hell, I will even ship you a copy myself if I have to.


	20. The Father, the Son, and the Unholy Ghost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I am, back again. That was fast, right? It was what... 7 days? Could have been out a day or two sooner, but I added a little more. Thought it was too short. Just wanted to get this chapter out before I went back to my Halloween fic. So, this will be the last update until I complete that project. No idea how long it will take me, though. Anyways, I know you all want to find out what happens, so I won't hold you up.

There had never been a time Jason was ever happier that it was a holiday than he was now. Aimes was too chaotic with the nephilim still skulking about. The power still wasn't back on for starters. The coven houses could take care of themselves, but the rest of the town was irritable about it. It was Thanksgiving and most families were having problems preparing a real meal.

Unfortunately, the coven didn't normally celebrate the holiday. They didn't celebrate Christmas either, as Jason had found out the other night. But he had convinced Kronos to have them throw together an actual Christmas dinner this year, as Jason's friends would be visiting for the holiday. It would probably be best if they looked as normal as possible.

With school out, Jason had more lessons. So it was basically like he was still in school. He had managed to produce a small shock in his lessons with Kronos. He was looking forward to learning time magic, but Kronos had just given him a lot of old books to read up on before they covered any of that. Hera had him messing around with tarot cards. He kept drawing death. Good times. What a promising future he had.

A little after three, Jason found himself at the cemetery. He fidgeted nervously, trying to avoid the dark eyes of Hades di Angelo. As if things weren't awkward already, the older warlock decided to make it worse.

“So, you like my son?”

Jason swallowed the lump in his throat. He really did not want to wake up with a skeleton in his bed for the next few weeks. “Y-Yes, sir.”

“And I trust that you would never hurt Nico... my only son.” Hades' eyes were eerily void of emotion. It was like he was just waiting for Jason to crack. 

“No, sir.”

“Good.” Hades tossed a thin black book to Jason. “More reading material for you. All about communicating with the dead.”

Jason thumbed through the pages. “Where exactly do my powers cut off with death magic?”

“Necromancy.”

Jason blinked up from the book. “Uh, right. Sorry. So, what all will I be able to do?”

Hades took a few paces to his right. “You can summon a spirit for a séance.” Those dark eyes never left Jason's figure. It left the blond feeling cold. “Perhaps some fear inducing. If you are as profound at it as your father, I do not have high hopes.”

As if things weren't bad enough already, Medea showed up towards the end of the lesson. By this point, Jason's body was as stiff as a board from the uncomfortable tension in the air between himself and Hades. Luckily, it didn't seem like Hades wanted his niece to be there.

“What are you doing here?”

Medea shrugged, an amused look on her face. “Just thought I'd come check on the amateur. Could be entertaining” She sat down on a tombstone. “How's it going?”

Hades twisted a ring on his left hand. “This is a lot harder than I'm used to.”

Jason frowned. He wasn't that bad, was he? However, it seemed like Medea was only there to make him suffer. “I think it's only hard for him when Nico is around,” she mused.

Jason quickly averted his gaze when Hades glared at him. What had Jason ever done to Medea? This was so not fair. Why couldn't someone else come to check on him, someone that wouldn't find joy in his suffering? He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “At least I didn't break any beds this morning.”

Medea's eyes lit up. “I think I heard Nico mention that to Hazel. Didn't Nico stay over at Mellie's that night?” Her grin grew as a deep red blush spread across Jason's face. “And I do believe I overheard Nico talking to Bianca. Something about a really good night in New Orleans.”

Hades' lips twitched. The spirits in the graveyard slowly began to drift towards Jason. The blue-eyed warlock quickly cleared his throat. “Um, I have the utmost respect for Nico. And he just wants to be friends right now. So there is absolutely nothing to worry about.”

“Sweetie!”

Jason let out a sigh of relief at the sound of Persephone's voice. The spirits around him vanished, while Medea just cackled at the entire thing. Although, as it turned out, Jason's relief was short lived.

In the blink of an eye, Cerberus came jumping out of the side of the mausoleum. Except he wasn't so small this time. He literally came up to Jason's head, his eyes glowing red. As he let out a bark, Jason got to witness the giant teeth in the dog's mouth. The young warlock had the sudden urge to pass out.

“There you are,” Persephone said with a smile, walking into the clearing. She gave Jason a small wave as she opened the iron gate of the cemetery. “You're still doing your lessons with the boy? He's supposed to be running home by now, Hades.”

Jason let out a breath. Hades just grunted and snapped his fingers. Jason let out a yelp as he was engulfed in darkness. His body was pulled down and through the dark void. He saw nothing for a split second, until his body emerged behind his house.

Kronos just arched a brow at him. “You look rather pale.” A smirk grew across his lips. “Perhaps I do not want to know. I'll assume you had lessons with Hades.”

“I do not know how to win with that man,” Jason admitted. “Nico and I aren't even dating.”

Kronos shrugged. “Might as well be, at least as far as Hades is concerned. He knows it is inevitable. And Nico is his only his son, his heir.” Kronos smiled again, but this time it was a little sad. “He was... very devastated when he thought Nico would come out stillborn. Nico would not remember it, but Hades was very protective of Nico when he was younger. Barely let him out of his sight.” Kronos tossed a football that he had been holding in his hands. “It's been hard on him, raising four children without Maria.”

“What happened to Hazel's father?” Jason decided to ask.

“He passed away some years ago. Hazel came to stay with Hades not long after that. Marie was in no condition to look after her.” Kronos eyed the football he was holding. “Pluto was the brother's name. Hades and Pluto were twins, then came their younger sister.”

“Medea's mother?”

Kronos gave a nod. “She was a real... witch,” Kronos grinned, “if you change the first letter there. Tartarus did not favor her either, and Hades and Pluto were wary over her. She was an outcast, of sorts.” His brow furrowed. “She got herself too caught up in the dark arts. We lost her.”

Jason frowned. “As in she's evil now?”

“No,” Kronos whispered. “She killed herself while performing a spell. A very strong one.” He pointed a finger at Jason's face. “Always remember, Jason, strong magic always comes at a price. Sometimes you may not be willing to pay for it, but you reach a point where you have no escape. Medea's mother reached that point before she knew what she had gotten herself into. Destroyed her home, killed herself, her husband, and nearly killed Medea.”

Jason cleared his throat as he glanced at the ball in Kronos' hands. “Can I ask something else?” He said. Kronos nodded. “My dream the other night. Time travel, I mean. These... glimpses always seem to be relevant or important, but why would I see a spat between Tartarus and his father?”

Kronos took in a breath. “Erebus was going to have another child. An heir. He never liked Tartarus.” Kronos was staring down at the football. “It was probably the first time Tartarus really lied to me. I didn't see it until it was too late.”

“See what?”

There was a pause, and then, “Nothing,” Kronos whispered. He tossed the football into the air. “Time for your lesson. I want you to freeze this ball... or get hit in the face.”

\----------------------------------

“Why is there a bruise around your eye?” Kinzie asked as Jason got out of his car in front of Mellie's house.

It actually surprised Jason to hear her address him. He felt like he had the black plague with how people had been treating him lately. “My grandfather tossed a football at me.” Jason nodded. “I failed to catch it.”

Kinzie blinked at him. “Isn't... Isn't your grandfather like... seventy?”

There was definitely some distance between the two of them. Kinzie probably because she was now wary of Jason, and Jason because of what he saw the other day at the swamp. Did Kinzie live around here? Nico had said the nephilim did have to be somewhere in this neighborhood.

“Yeah,” Jason finally replied, “but he still has an arm on him.” Jason shifted his weight and fiddled with the keys in his hand. “So, you live around here?”

“Yeah.” Kinzie motioned over her shoulder. “Just about a block down that way. Nothing to do with the power out, so I thought I'd go for a walk. Mom doesn't like anyone getting in the way of her Thanksgiving cooking. I think she's scaring Dad with the crazy look that was in her eye when she took over his grill.” The girl shrugged. “Gotta cook somehow, I guess.”

It was fairly awkward. It did kind of suck. Kinzie had always been so nice to him, but now it felt like she was somewhere in between afraid of him and pitied him. Given, Jason knew that Kinize had a crush on him.

Jason took in a breath. “Well, I guess I'm going to go in. I wanted to check on Mellie, since she had that nervous breakdown at school,” the blond said. Kinzie nodded. “Have a good holiday.”

Jason watched as Kinzie walked down the street until she was almost out of sight. He hadn't said anything to the others about Kinzie yet. Jason wasn't sure if he should. With how crazy the nephilim had made things around Aimes, it made Jason doubt things. How would the coven react if he pointed a finger at someone? What if their response was extreme and Jason was wrong? What would that mean for Kinzie?

When he reached the door, Jason knocked. There didn't seem to be any response. Mellie's car was in the driveway, but with no power, it wasn't as easy to tell if the woman was home. Most people in town were walking everywhere until the power came back, since they couldn't pump gas. Electricians had been running all over town, but couldn't find a problem. Everything should be working, according to them.

After another knock, the door finally opened. Mellie stood behind the door, barely poking her head through the crack. “Jason?” She asked quietly.

“Mellie, are you all right?” Jason tilted his head to look inside. “I just wanted to check on you.”

Mellie glanced behind Jason, scanning her yard intently before she ushered Jason inside. She closed the door as soon as the blond was in. Jason watched with a furrowed brow as Mellie locked her doorknob, deadbolted the door, and latched the chain. It was like she was frightened.

“Was a-anyone out there?” She asked meekly.

Jason's lips tilted down. His shoulders slumped and he sighed. “Come on. Sit down, Ms. Mellie.” Jason went into the kitchen to retrieve some lemonade that Mellie had sitting out. “Kinzie was passing by, but that was it.”

“Oh dear.” Mellie's hand shook as she took the cup of lemonade from Jason. “Do you think... Do you think that Kinzie might be... Do you think it's possible that she...?”

Jason sat down on the couch. “I don't know.” His brow furrowed as he leaned forward. “Why are you so scared of a nephilim? I get what they are, but I don't even see the coven as frightened as this.” Jason slowly nodded. “Given, you don't have magic.”

With shaky hands, Mellie took a sip of her drink. “I'm pregnant.”

Jason held his hands above his head with a huge grin. “That's great, Mellie.” She did not look as pleased as he was. “Not great? Why is that not great?” He sat down on the arm of the chair Mellie was in. “You're going to be a mom!”

“It wants my child,” Mellie whispered. “I promised.”

“You made a deal... for the life of your first born?”

Mellie hung her head with a sigh. “I didn't read the contract. I didn't know until I had already signed.” Mellie wiped a hand across her face, her hair slightly disheveled. “It was before I met the coven here. I knew Lupa, yes, but I had no knowledge that she was even a witch at the time. I was in such a frantic state that I made the deal without even realizing what I was dealing with. The coven must have sensed the nephilim, but it was too late by the time they got to me.”

Pursing his lips, Jason softly rubbed the woman's back. “What could be so dire that you would make a deal with something like that?” He asked gently.

“Hedge. He was sweet on me at the time. It was before we started seeing each other.” Mellie shook her head, her fingertips pressed to her forehead. “There was an accident. He would have died. It sensed my troubles and came.”

“I thought they couldn't come into our world without being summoned, or something?”

“Friday the thirteenth,” Mellie muttered. “They can come into our world on those days. They like to cause mischief. For all I know, it could have been one of those things that caused the accident.” Mellie placed her empty cup on the table in front of her. “All it told me before I signed was that I would know when the time came, and that I would hardly miss what I barely knew.” She finally looked up at Jason. “That was why it showed me dead babies. It wants mine.”

Taking in a deep breath, Jason jumped up and began to pace. “Okay. Maybe we can try to break the contract?” He glanced at Mellie. “I'll see if that's possible.”

“It isn't,” Mellie whispered. “The coven told me years ago. The only way to break the contract is to get the nephilim to agree to it, or kill the nephilim that made the deal.”

“Then we'll kill it!”

Mellie smiled a little. “Wishful thinking. I'm afraid, as far as I know, the coven do not know a way to kill a nephilim.”

Jason gave a nod. He didn't want to believe it. There had to be a way. “I'll ask around.” He took in a breath and headed for the door. “I promise you, Mellie, I won't let that thing take your baby.”

Mellie smiled at him, though she looked to be on the verge of tears. “Thank you, Jason.” She gave a single nod. “I have to have hope. Let me know what you can find.”

“You bet,” he whispered as he slipped out the door.

This was horrible. The coven had to catch that nephilim now. They had to kill it. If they didn't know a way, there was plenty of time to learn when they captured it. Mellie was too nice of a person to be put through this. He just wanted to punch the nephilim square in the face. How could anything be so heartless and cruel?

“Jason!”

The blond glanced up from the grass to see Eros standing by his car. The brunet smiled at him and waved. “Hey,” Jason greeted him.

Eros nodded to Jason's car. “I figured you were inside.” The boy shoved his hands into his pockets. “Ms. Mellie okay? She left in a mighty hurry the other day. Nobody really knows why.” He smiled a little. “Thought I'd bring some food over to her later.” A chuckle. “Well, depending on if my parents can get any food made. This power outage sucks.”

Jason nodded. His eyes glanced at Eros and then motioned to the boy's head. “The pink finally came out?”

“Yeah.” Eros shrugged. “A few more showers seemed to do it.” The boy tilted his head to the side. “So, ready for the upcoming midterms?”

Jason gave a snort. “To be honest, I've barely looked at my notes.” The blond ruffled his own hair. “It's been crazy around here. Like something is out to get everyone.”

“Didn't know you were into all that supernatural? Everyone in town says your family and the others are all into that spooky stuff, but I've never really seen Luke do anything weird.”

That brought a smile to Jason's face. “You watch Luke a lot?”

Eros laughed at that. “Maybe a little.” He bit down on his lip. “He's cute.”

“Wow.” Jason's eyes widened a little in a chuckle. “Surprised to hear you openly admit that.”

Eros gave a shrug. “Yeah, well...” He took in a breath and crossed his arms. “Anyways, if you need help with your studies, hit me up.” The boy grinned. “I'd be glad to help...” his grin grew a little, “maybe for a price.”

Jason's smile faltered. “What did you say?” That grin. It was familiar.

Eros blinked at him in confusion. He shrugged. “I said I'd be happy to help? Maybe you can buy me some lunch, or something.” His eyes studied Jason. They were staring intently into Jason's eyes. Something was off, even if Eros wasn't going to show it. “Is that... okay? Are you okay?” Eros arched a brow. “You seem a little off.”

“Yeah,” Jason said slowly. He took a step back. “Um, I need to actually get back home. Grandpa doesn't need to be left alone with the gas stove.” Another step.

“You guys have a gas stove? Lucky.” Eros shoved his hands into his pockets and watched as Jason made his way around the car. The boy held up a hand in a wave. “I'll see you soon, Jason.”

Jason fought off a chill as he got into the car. Those had been the last words the nephilim had said to him that night that Nico had summoned it. He glanced at Eros as he cranked the car. The boy just stood there and watched him drive away. Was he right in assuming Eros was being possessed? But how? He had specifically asked about Eros, after the strange behaviors, but Nico had said that there was nothing out of the ordinary. One soul. Normal.

Eros lived in the neighborhood, Jason knew that for a fact. The weird things that happened. The crosses falling over around Eros. Jason remembered reading that nephilim hated objects like crosses or angels, or most religious artifacts. None of them hurt nephilim, they just simply didn't like looking at them. Jason squeezed the steering wheel as he drove. He felt so stupid.

But Eros had not been excluded from the chaos around town. And there were the shadow wings that followed Kinize. Jason clenched his teeth with a growl. His head hurt. This nephilim was going to drive him crazy. Eros had started acting weird, though, after they had found him in the woods. And Jason still had no answer about that. Jason sped towards home. He needed to get Nico.

\----------------------------------

One thing that Jason never imagined himself doing was creeping outside a friend's window after dark on Thanksgiving. Yet, here he was. On the plus side, he had Nico at his side. He was just working on convincing Nico to support his theory.

Nico's eyes narrowed as they looked into the window. “Are you sure about this?” He asked, glancing at Jason. “Like, there cannot be room for doubt.” He held up a small vial with a red liquid in it. “Do you see this? If he is possessed, it will fix that and expel the nephilim.”

“And if I'm wrong?” Jason asked, his nerves quickly dwindling away.

With a frown, Nico slid the vial back into his pocket. “If you're wrong, he will die.”

There was a strong urge to fall over. No pressure, right? So subtle Nico was... He really knew how to ease someone into the absolutely horrible news. Jason let out a groan as he glanced in the window again.

In front of the couch, Eros and his mother were kneeling down. Candles flickered all around the living room. Eros' mother had her lips tightly pursed, her bottom lip quivering. She looked like she was fighting back tears.

“Can we hear them somehow?” Jason asked.

Without saying anything, Nico pressed his palm to the glass. “Come, Mother, we must say our prayers,” Eros said. It was like they could hear it as clear as day. Eros let out a huff when his mother just whimpered. “I said pray!”

Both Nico and Jason were startled by the sound of Eros' voice. It was harsh and cold. His mother drew away from him, shielding her head. Eros smiled sweetly and placed a hand on her back.

“You always liked to pray, didn't you, Mother?” He leaned in more. “Always. You just sat there... and prayed,” Eros basically hissed at his mother. “That's all you could do. You just waited for your... God to intervene. Well, I hate to disappoint, but he didn't.” Eros grabbed a handful of the woman's hair and yanked her back into a kneeling position. “Now pray, like you always did.”

Her whole body shook, but Eros' mother clasped her hands together and bowed her head. “Dear Lord,” she began. Eros smiled and bowed his head as well, kneeling beside his mother. “Thank you for this day. Thank you for our home. And thank you for blessing us with such a... wonderful son.” The woman's head snapped up to the ceiling, her eyes panicked. “Please, Lord, bring him back to us! Deliver us from this evil and-”

Eros snatched her by her hair and flung her backwards. “You're no fun.” His eyes were cold as he studied his mother. “Father!”

The door on the other side of the room slowly swung open and out came Eros' father, his clothes tattered and his body bruised. Eros arched a brow at him. The man was holding a gold cross necklace. Seeing it made Eros chuckle.

“You think to exorcise me, Father? Am I the devil? Is that it?” Eros chuckled. He motioned for his father to come closer. “Come then, show me how mighty your God is then.” The man didn't move. “I said come!”

The windows shook and the pictures on the walls rattled. Jason felt a chill. There were no more doubts. He glanced at Nico. The boy was holding the vial again, but made no move to intervene. “Aren't we going to do something?” Jason whispered.

Nico held up a hand. “Wait.”

As the father slowly approached, glass bottles fell from the ceiling and smashed on the floor, littering it in glass. Eros folded his arms over his chest and began to tap his foot impatiently. Gulping, the father took a step closer.

A smirk crossed Eros' lips. “Wait.” He pointed down. “Crawl.”

As if by some invisible force, Eros' fathers fell to his knees. The man whimpered as he slowly made his way across the room, glass digging into his knees and hand as he went. But he couldn't stop. Finally, the man reached Eros and stood back up. Anger flooded the man's eyes as he took the cross firmly in his hand. He grabbed Eros and spun the boy around, pushing the cross to Eros' forehead.

The brunet howled in pain. Smoke rose from his forehead. “Be gone, demon!” Eros' father yelled.

It all seemed to work, until Eros' laughter turned to laughter instead of pain. The boy turned his head away and continued to laugh. His father slowly backed away for a second before lunging forward and wrapping his hands around Eros' throat, the two of them falling to the floor. The man glared down at his son as he strangled the boy.

Jason got up from his knees. “That's enough,” he hissed.

“Jason!” Nico was too late to stop him.

Lightning surged from Jason and shattered the glass. The blond leapt inside and Nico was forced to follow. Jason glared down at the man, who continued to choke Eros. Maybe that thing was actually the nephilim, maybe it wasn't. But Eros was his friend. He wasn't going to let this man kill Eros, even if he was housing the nephilim in his body.

The carpet under Eros slowly began to soak, like it was flooding. The brunet's clothes were soaked. Water poured down the walls. Eros' lips turned blue, like they were frozen. He sniffled as he looked up at his father.

“Going to choke me, Daddy?” Eros asked innocently. His eyes flashed mischievously with a smirk. “I like it rough. Harder.” He didn't even seem concerned that his father was tightening his grip. Nico grabbed Jason's arm when the blond moved forward. “I know you can do it harder.” Eros raised his hands to touch his father's. “Just like you did that night.” Eros' green eyes were engulfed in black and red mist began to swirl within the darkness. “The night you drowned your son. Is this just how you strangled him before holding his head under the water? Is it, Daddy?”

“Oh shit,” Nico said barely above a whisper. His fingers were like nails digging into Jason's skin. “We need to leave.”

Jason understood. Blue eyes were good. The dilated yellow that he had seen the first time meeting a nephilim were its normal color. The books that Jason had said that only destruction and death followed when a nephilim's eyes were black. Nico was right, they needed to go.

The window was gone when they turned around. Eros slowly rose to his feet, his fathers hands gripped tightly in his own. As he stood up straight, black wings spread from Eros' back. The glass on all the picture frames were cracking. A chair at the kitchen table shattered into a million shards. The chandelier above the kitchen table fell. A display case with a bunch of different angel figurines exploded and sent the shards flying.

Eros leaned down and clamped his fingers around his father's jaw. Jason could hear bones crack. “You are worthless. Disgusting. A waste of the air you mortals need to breathe. The floor around the two burst into flames. “He did nothing! And you murdered him. Your own son!” As he pulled his hand away, there was a small pistol in his hands.

With a shaky hand, Eros' father reached up and took it. He quickly placed it under his chin and put his finger on the trigger. Jason tried to jerk forward, but his legs were like lead. Eros' lip twisted up into a smirk as the man before him repositioned the gun to his own eye. Eros spun on his heel with a smirk. The wings had vanished. The boy smiled ever so sweetly as he walked over to the long forgotten mother.

He crouched down beside her and ran his fingers through his hair. “You hated it, I know you did,” the boy said softly. “Yet, you did nothing, like you are now. But you can't hurt me, can you? Not your own son. You're not like your husband.” He smiled as he cupped her face. “You always took care of your son after your husband was threw beating him. But...” the smile fell, “you just stood there and watched, or prayed. Like that would do you any good.” He leaned in when she trembled. “Do I frighten you?”

“Y-Yes,” the woman replied in a shaky voice.

“Good.” Eros helped her sit up. The black wings sprouted from his back again. The woman bowed her head and mumbled a small prayer. Eros smirked. “I am no angel, I'm afraid. I am so much more.” A blue light began to shine in his eyes, slowly breaking through the darkness until they were nothing but a blue glow. “I can take it all away. All this pain. All this guilt. I can offer you a way out. A small kindness. Something your husband will not see from me.” He was not smiling, but a warmth did radiate off him. A soothing presence. “I would not refuse this offer, unless you wish to face the same punishment as he will.”

“I...” The woman bowed her head again, unable to look at the face of her son. “What will happen to me?”

A smile finally touched Eros' lips. “You will know peace. You can be with your son. And your husband will never come near you again. Not where he is going.” The nephilim gently took the woman's hands. “Do not fear death.”

“Okay,” she whispered. Then she nodded her head, wiping at her eyes. “I accept. But how do I face my son again?”

Another smile from the nephilim. Its wings expanded over them. Without saying anything, he leaned in and kissed the woman. Jason could only imagine how weird that had to be for Eros' mother, kissing her own son. A noise escaped her throat. The very center of her being illuminated in a blue light. It slowly drifted up. From her mouth came a blue wisp that Eros captured in his hand. For a moment, he just stared down at it. Then he held it above his head and a white light swallowed it.

Eros rose to his feet, his wings slowly retracting into his back. His eyes dissolved into the wolfish yellow color that Jason had seen the first night they met. The brunet took in a breath before turning to face them. “I told you I would see you later.”

Without wasting a minute, Nico tossed the vial at the nephilim. It burst and the red liquid turned to smoke, going straight up Eros' nose. The boy began to gag and then scream. His arms locked at his sides and his head fell back. A bright light came forth from Eros' mouth, but immediately sucked back inside. Eros coughed and fell on his butt.

“That won't work,” he managed to get out. He wiped an arm across his mouth as he glared at Nico. “Do you honestly think I wanted to stay in this body? I was just as shocked as you two when you found me in those woods! Probably more confused.” He grunted when the two looked confused. “I'm trapped in this body, geniuses! Nephilim can only possess the bodies of the living.”

“Then you're coming with us to explain this to the coven,” Nico said, moving forward.

Eros flung his arm and sent both Jason and Nico flying into the wall. “Sit down, little warlock. I may be bound in this body, but I am still stronger than you.”

“You knew I figured it out?” Jason asked.

There was a shrug from Eros. “Pretty sure. Honestly, this was getting boring.” He got up from the floor with a groan. “I feel disgusted with myself. I may still be a nephilim, but these new feelings are strange.” He motioned to his stomach. “Like, how are you supposed to go on having fun, when this thing craves food. And sleep? How do you get anything done?”

Nico blinked at him, shocked. “You... feel?”

“Unfortunately,” Eros grumbled. “I hate it.”

“I'm done talking,” Jason growled as he pushed himself up. “What kind of sick joke is it for you to make a woman see dead babies?”

Eros shrugged. “Just a reminder.”

Jason grabbed Eros by the front of his shirt. The brunet didn't seem bothered. “End the deal. Now!”

Without much effort, Eros pried Jason's hands from him and made the blond sit down on the couch, next to Eros' cowering father. “Wasn't me.”

“Don't lie.” Jason's eyes blazed. Sparks flew from his fist. “You showed me that contract the night we summoned you. That was it, wasn't it? The contract you made with Mellie.”

A smirk touched at Eros' lips. “Close.” He shook his head. “I'm afraid you got the wrong nephilim, though. That contract wasn't for Mellie.”

Jason shot up from the couch. “I don't believe you!” He threw a punch, arcing lightning towards the brunet in front of him.

Eros caught his fist and absorbed the lighting. He flicked Jason's forehead and sent an electric current through Jason's body. Nico shot to his feet, glaring hatefully. “Don't touch him,” Nico growled. The boy raised a hand, his eyes turning black.

Nothing happened.

“What?” Nico whispered, glancing at the floor.

Eros began to howl with laughter. “Please. Try to summon the dead. I beg of you.” He wiped at his eyes. “Are you forgetting what I am? I ferry the dead. I come to claim their souls when it's time for them to move on. Do you really think that your necromancy will work on me?” His lip tilted up in a smirk. “I'm afraid you two are a little out of your league, and you don't have a binding circle to protect you this time.”

A column of flame shot up from the floor, engulfing Eros. Chunks of the wall were blasted out and the door flew out into the yard. Eros was gone, leaving behind a giant hole in the ceiling. Nico helped Jason up and they looked around. This was a disaster. With a whimper, Eros' father dropped the gun and curled up in the fetal position. Nico caught Jason's eye. It didn't have to be said, Jason knew. They needed help.

Nico kicked at a chunk of wood that had fallen from the ceiling. “Happy Thanksgiving, I guess.”

Jason silently watched the boy leave the house. His eyes briefly fell on the lifeless body of Eros' mother before he followed after Nico. A family had been torn apart on Thanksgiving. No, he reminded himself, it had already had that happen. Except, now Jason wasn't sure who to blame. Was it their fault for letting it escape into the world? Was it the father's for being an abusive asshole? Was it the nephilim's for causing all this chaos and destruction. Perhaps it no longer mattered. It was too late to change things now, the damage was done.

\------------------------------------

The silence was mainly what killed Jason's nerves. Dead silence filled downtown as Jason and Nico approached the church. The door handle for the front door of the church was busted off and the windows were all cracked. They had sensed it here, and they were right. Even better, it was approaching three o'clock. Not ironic at all, Jason thought to himself.

Quietly, Nico made the door open and they slipped inside. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” Jason whispered. Nico just shoved him forward.

When they entered the sanctuary, it didn't take them long to find Eros. He was perched up in a glass window above where the choir sat and the pastor would do baptisms. He didn't even look up when they approached. He did, however, raise a finger when they neared the podium at the front.

“Come to take me away?” The nephilim asked in a eerie voice. They took another step and Eros vanished. He reappeared on the balcony above them, crouched and smirking. His eyes seemed to glow, like a cat in the dark. “Don't be rude, we have a guest.”

In a puff of smoke, a man appeared behind the podium, chained to it. Jason recognized him as the pastor of the church. “Let him go,” Jason demanded.

“So threatening,” Eros chuckled. “Didn't learn your lesson last time?” Eros vanished again, this time appearing beside the pastor. Smirking, he placed his hands on the man's shoulders. “I have a game in mind. If you kill me, or harm me in any way, he dies. Wouldn't want that, would we? Then you'd just be helping Circe along in her plans.”

Nico's eyes widened in shock. “You know what she has planned?”

“I know everything,” Eros replied. Those yellow eyes looked at the pastor in distaste as he reached up and grabbed the man's hair. In a swift motion, Eros had pulled—what apparently was—the toupe off the man.

“How dare you, demon!” The pastor yelled. “You enter the house of the Lord, possessed in the body of an innocent, and now you seek to humiliate-”

“Shut up,” Eros mumbled, shoving the toupe into the pastor's mouth. “I swear, why does it seem like all they do is spout hateful words towards anyone?” The brunet rolled his eyes. “You had that affair with the choir director, while her husband was away on business, but you don't see me passing judgment on you.” The pastor grew red in the face, glaring hatefully at Eros as he tried to yell, but was muffled by the fake hair in his mouth. Eros just patted him on the cheek. “Be a good little thing and maybe I won't turn you into a pile of ash.”

That seemed to do the trick. The pastor grew pale and clung tightly to the podium, closing his eyes in prayer. Eros shook his head and stepped away from the pastor. Taking in a deep breath, Eros spun back around with a gleam in his eyes.

“On second thought, I want to have a little fun.” He held his hand up. The pastor shrieked behind the hair, while Jason and Nico tried to jump forward. They were all buried in giant pile of socks. Eros howled in laughter as Jason and Nico dug themselves out. “I really should stop hoarding those. Perhaps we all should. It is quite amusing to see mortals look so confused when they pull an odd number of socks out of the dryer.”

Letting out a growl, Jason arced his arm and hurled a ball of lightning towards Eros. The brunet just scoffed and knocked it aside, sending it hurling into some pews that got split down the middle. A yell came from within the socks as Nico let out a burst of energy and the pile of socks flew everywhere. Eros didn't seem threatened. Nico shot his hand out and shadows rose from everywhere to hold the nephilim in place.

Eros just blinked at them. “What, are you just going to hold me here forever? Bore me to death? I'm still immortal.” He arched a brow at the two boys. “Nice try, but this won't hold me for long.”

“It's not meant to hold you forever,” Nico hissed.

A green sphere of light formed around Eros, cutting off all the shadows. Eros let out a growl and banged his hands against the orb, which cracked a little. A door behind Eros opened and out stepped Gaea, her hand raised.

“Nico, I will need your help restraining him,” she stated. “He is bound in this body, but his power is still strong.”

Nico nodded and got to his feet. The two of them weaved another energy prison around Eros. They moved and flowed their arms, causing the prison to grow smaller. It broke apart and became chains that wrapped tightly around Eros. The brunet fell to the floor, screaming hateful words in a language that Jason had never heard before.

“Do you understand him?” Jason asked quietly.

Nico shook his head. “It's the language of the nephilim. We've never been able to decipher it.” He shrugged. “I'm sure you can get the jest of what he's saying, though.”

As Nico worked on securing Eros, Gaea walked over to the pastor. She let out a sigh and waved a hand in front of his face. The man just blinked at her. She waved a hand again. “Strange,” she muttered. “I can't seem to wipe his memory.”

Eros chuckled from the floor. “Strange, isn't it?”

Gaea leered down at the nephilim. “What have you done?”

“I'm so hurt that you think I would do anything at all.”

With a sigh, Gaea waved her hand again. This time the man crumpled to the floor and began snoring loudly. “That will have to do for now.” She turned her attention back to Jason and Nico. “Let us get him outside.”

When they exited the church, Kronos was waiting there with a car. Everything was still. Perfectly still. The trees looked like they were blowing in the wind, but they did not move. There was a car just up the road, completely still. Jason turned to Kronos as they got Eros in the car.

“You froze time?” Jason asked.

Kronos gave a nod. “Didn't know how crazy it was going to get. Didn't want anyone seeing anything. So I froze everything in Aimes outside of the church, aside from anyone in the coven.” He motioned to the car. “Shall we? The others will be wanting a report.”

When they got back home, there were a lot of people standing in the entryway. The Heads of House and their Firsts were all their. That included Luke, who grew pale as they dragged Eros in, still hissing out profanities that they could not understand.

“Lock him upstairs,” Gaea instructed. “We will be up in a moment.”

Nico gave a nod and shoved Eros towards the stairs. As they passed Luke, Eros turned to the blond. “You look upset. Something a matter?”

Growling, Luke attempted to grab Eros, but his father held him back. “Did you kill him?” The blond shouted.

Jason pursed his lips as they continued up the stairs. They didn't have a chance yet to explain what had happened, just that they knew who the nephilim was. It was expected that Luke would be furious. Nico led them to the third floor. Jason had not been up here yet, not that he really had a reason to. There didn't seem to be anything up here. There was only one door at the top of the stairs.

When it opened, Jason found a large room with old books and other ritual items. Even a few skulls. Nico shoved Eros to the back of the room and bound the magic chains to the floor and the back wall. Eros just sat down calmly and pulled his knees up to his chest.

It didn't take long before they heard footsteps behind them. Gaea entered with the other heads of the families. They must have instructed the Firsts to wait downstairs. Even Apollo was there. He leaned forward, peering at Eros curiously.

“And you're sure this is the nephilim?”

Nico gave him a disbelieving look. Eros smirked up at the curly haired blond. “Why don't you kiss me and find out?” His eyes flashed yellow and Apollo shot backwards with a yelp.

Poseidon folded his arms over his chest. “You are bound in that body? How? We've never had a recorded incident like this?”

Eros let out a sigh and pushed dully at the chain that hung from his wrist. “After the two idiots over there,” Eros began, receiving a glare from Nico, “let me escape, I sensed a trouble soul. The boy was being strangled and drowned by his... most loving father. Wanting to purge the evil from Eros, and all that.” The nephilim rolled his eyes. “I entered his body to try and help, perhaps heal him and maybe get his father to leave him alone, but I was too late.” The brunet's head hung lazily to the side. “He died as I entered his body. And, as you should know, we can only take over the bodies of the living. It's a two way street. We can't enter if they are dead... and we can't leave either.”

Hades crouched down a few feet from the nephilim. “Interesting.” He studied the boy in front of him closely. “No wonder we couldn't find you. We were looking for two souls, when there was only one.”

Ares let out a grunt. “Still does not answer what we are supposed to do with... what are we supposed to call you?”

The nephilim gave a shrug. “Call me, Eros, if you wish. Nephilim do not have names.” He then smirked up at the coven. “Perhaps it would be best, since everyone in town will still believe I'm the same boy.”

Ares let loose a deep laugh. “That's funny. You think we are going to let you go?” He leaned down with a smirk of his own, getting into Eros' face. “You'll never see the light of day again. We'll just have to figure out how to kill you, or remove you from that body. I vote on the prior.”

When the nephilim's eyes turned yellow again, Ares drew back a little. He then chuckled and laid his arms on his knees. “Now you're funny. You think you can just keep me here?” He held up a arm and jingled the chain. “I don't need to break out. You will let me go.”

“You are delusional,” Hera scoffed.

“I'm afraid I am not.” Eros hummed to himself for a second. “I doubt your little mind wiping answer won't work this time.” He laughed when Ares clenched his jaw and grabbed the front of his shirt. “I hexed the town. No mortal in Aimes can have their memory altered as long as I say. So, unless you want them knocking down your doors for capturing poor little Eros and murdering his mother, I suggest you not keep me long.” He let out a sigh. “Besides, I still have business with that bastard of a father of the boy.”

Gaea cleared her throat and opened the door. “Perhaps we should speak downstairs?” She suggested. Some of the adults grumbled, but they all exited the room. Gaea turned to look at Jason and Nico. “Keep an eye on him.”

After the door shut, Jason turned to Nico. The boy looked exhausted. If his house wasn't just up the road, Jason would have offered to let Nico sleep over. Probably not in the same bed, Jason reminded himself.

“Were you lying about the contract?” Nico suddenly asked in a hushed tone.

“No,” Eros replied simply. He did not seem bothered at all by his predicament, Jason noted. “I am not the nephilim you are looking for.” He glanced up at Nico. “I do know which one made the deal, though. They sort of asked me to remind Mellie of her debt, while I was in town.” He shrugged. “Just passing on the message. But...” A faint smirk touched Eros' lips, “I'm afraid that you won't be breaking that deal anytime soon.”

“Why not? Jason demanded.

“Well, for starters, he's not bound in a body like I am. Do you really think you can take on a fully powered nephilim?” He arched a brow and nodded to Nico. “Think about it. There's a reason that your lover boy here bound me when I was summoned. And summoning won't do the trick for you.”

Jason clenched his fist. Even if that thing looked like his friend, Jason still wanted to punch Eros in the face. “And why is that?” He asked through clenched teeth.

“Because, he won't come.” Eros shook his head in amusement. “As it turns out, he's a little busy. Not completely unrelated to your other troubles at hand.”

Nico grew pale. “The nephilim are working with Circe?”

“Mmmm no. Not so much.” Eros frowned down at his chains with distaste. “Just one. Maybe two. Hard to say.” He held up a finger when Nico opened his mouth again. “Save your breath. Do you really think I would tell you what they are doing?”

Jason formed a ball of lightning in his hand. “We'll make you tell us.”

“Jason,” Nico whispered.

The blond wasn't going to listen. He was tired and done. This nephilim had caused too much trouble, and now he was taunting them. The knowledge that it held could help them stop Circe. “Tell us.”

“I'm afraid you can't make me tell you anything,” Eros laughed.

Nico put a hand on Jason's arm when the blond took a step forward. “He's right. You won't get answers out of a nephilim, at least not through torture.” He let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I'm afraid we are at a loss.”

Just then, the door swung open and in came an angry Luke. “You,” the blond hissed, pointing at the nephilim. “How could you-”

“He didn't,” Nico sighed.

Luke turned on Nico in a rage. “He murdered Eros, and now he is using his body! And wanting to be called his name!” Luke shook his head. “Don't defend him.”

Nico didn't budge. “Believe me, I don't want to, but he didn't kill Eros.” Luke looked taken aback. “It's true. At least it seems to be. Eros' father murdered Eros.” He placed a gentle hand on Luke's shoulder. “Most likely because of how he was associating with us. Khione probably told him, like she said she would.”

There was a moment of silence, and then, “Why did you stop him then?” Luke asked. Nico blinked. “Why did you stop him from killing Eros' father?”

Eros held up his hands. “That's what I would like to know.”

“Shut up,” Luke growled. He was furious, but looked on the verge of tears. “I can't even look at you.”

“Didn't stop you from kissing me,” Eros sang.

Nico had his hands on Luke before the blond could do anything. “Calm down,” the raven haired boy said gently. “He's just trying to provoke you.”

Jason glanced at Eros, who was watching Luke. It wasn't malicious or mischievous like what Jason normally saw in the nephilim's eyes. It looked... almost sad. He didn't understand. Jason shook his head and turned his attention back to the other two. “Perhaps we should all get some rest.”

Nico frowned. “The coven wanted us to watch him.”

Jason gave a smile and squeezed Nico's arm. “I'll watch him.” He shook his head when Nico opened his mouth to argue. “You look exhausted. Go get some sleep. I can keep an eye on him. The others are just downstairs.” He smiled when Nico scrunched his lips. “I'll be fine. Promise.”

“Fine,” Nico sighed. He glanced at the nephilim once before heading for the door. After he pushed Luke out, Nico turned to hover in the doorway. “Be careful. I don't-” Nico shut his mouth, his cheeks lightly red. “Just be careful.”

A smile touched Jason's lips. “I will.” He let out a sigh as the door shut. Rubbing his jaw, Jason slowly turned to face Eros again. The nephilim watched him with a smirk. “What?”

“Nothing. Just sad.” Eros shrugged. “Well, also amusing. You may be one step up from mortals, but you still let yourselves be controlled by curses. Perhaps you should go after him, go sweep him off his feet.” He arched a brow. “A blind man could see that he wanted you so badly right then.” The brunet smirked again. “So, you never told me how much fun you really had in New Orleans.”

Jason rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall. “You're not going to provoke me.” After a moment, he shook his head. “You knew. You knew that I was a warlock and that you'd be able to escape.” Eros just smirked. “That's why you said I'd see you soon.”

“Well,” Eros began, “that and the contract.” The chains dangled under his wrist. “Save your breath and don't ask me, because I have no interest in telling right now.” He let out a sigh. “For that, you'll have to make me a deal. I already have the perfect one in mind.”

Jason scoffed and folded his arms across his chest. “Yeah? What's that?”

“You're going to kill my-” The nephilim chuckled. “Excuse me. You're going to kill Eros' father. Unfinished business and all that.” He inspected his nails with a laugh. “That and I just really don't like the guy. I nearly drowned him myself the other night. Had him pour beer down his throat until it was coming out of his mouth. Passed out for a while, but he's stubborn. Wouldn't take the kiss.”

“The kiss is a mercy,” Jason pointed out. “I studied that much.”

“True. But, as far as he was concerned, he would have gotten it. I had other plans.” Eros scrunched his lips with a dull look in his eyes. “Charring his body and serving him up to the church congregation for a Thanksgiving meal sounded pretty entertaining.”

“That's sick.”

“Yes, well, I don't have that little pesky thing that you creatures have. What's it called again?” Eros chuckled and snapped his fingers. “Oh yeah, a conscious.” He motioned to his head. “At most, I just have this boy's memories. Closest thing to one, I suppose.” His eyes were cold when they looked at Jason again. “That man deserved to die for the hell he put this boy through in life. Now he is gone. His death should be avenged.”

For a moment, Jason studied the brunet, thinking to himself. It just didn't add up. Gaea was strong, yes, but Eros had beaten Nico like it was nothing. Although, he had admitted that he knew that Nico and Jason were going to come. He beat them and ran off. Surely he would have-

“You knew,” Jason whispered.

Eros arched a brow at him. “What exactly did I know?”

Jason shook his head, brow furrowed. “You knew we'd bring Gaea. There's no way you wouldn't know that. You're too smart and cunning.” Blue eyes snapped up to Eros, who was staring blankly back at him. “You easily beat Nico, the second strongest witch or warlock alive, but Gaea just took you by surprise?” He pursed his lips and motioned to Eros. “And you don't even seem concerned. Almost like you wanted to be caught. Why?”

Slowly, a wicked smirk crept across Eros' lips, the boy's eyes flashing yellow in the low lighting. Jason knew it was true. Eros just stared at him with a smug look. “I'm right where I want to be, Jason.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, it was Eros. The biggest enjoyment for me was back in chapter 13, when nobody probably remembered what was said about all witches or warlocks present when a nephilim was summoned thing, and everyone was so happy for Eros' personality change. And I'm over here laughing. Sorry. One thing I do want everyone to answer, though, is basically what did give away. I feel it became too obvious and I want to tone it down a bit for the book, so I wanted to know. But I'm wondering how many of you knew the real Eros was dead. Because that's why nobody suspected Eros in the story.
> 
> Goodbye sweet Eros, and hello--as Carlee calls him--Sineros. Sweet little devil bird. I bet you're all wondering how Luke will get his bae now! Well I will tell you... by showing you in the story that you'll have to wait and see. Honestly, I even hinted at it on tumblr when someone sent me an ask telling me how sweet Eros was in the beginning of the story. That was a long time ago, too. I replied with a happy smiling Mary Eunice. For any of you that don't watch American Horror Story, Mary Eunice was a nun that got possessed by a demon lol. 
> 
> I also want to say a huge thanks to everyone for the support on my news last chapter. While I am writing this fic, I'll be changing out names(after I come up with ones to use for all the characters) and changing a few things I felt needed improvement. I have a quarter of them? Maybe half? I have a lot of characters to mess with. Also, for those afraid you can't get it where you live, I will be pushing to have my book made into an ebook, so you could get it if you have a tablet or something. Like, the one thing I want to take from all these years of writing for you guys is everything I've seen you guys say. And I've heard, since I said I wanted to try and publish something into a book, was that some were afraid they wouldn't get my book in their country. So, I want to try and make it available in as many forms as possible. Like, I will work with anyone who might have trouble getting a copy of my book. Do not worry.
> 
> There has been a lot that I have been silently listening to over the years in the fandom. Especially on tumblr. Got to get a good artist to draw the official art. I have a few artist in mind. I'm sure it would make a lot of you happy to know that viria and minuiko are on that list of people I will request from my publishers to seek out. I will not have something like the Nico official artwork. I will also seek to have it translated into different languages as it is published. I want to do right by you, the readers, for all the support I've had. For all the things I see you guys complain about disliking in books. And you can all expect to be mentioned in some way in my acknowledgments. Especially Carlee and Diane, because I probably would have never rebirthed this story if not for their pushing and prodding and helping me, and listening to me into the dead hours of the night. If not for all of you. I mean, it's not even about the ship format when it comes to a book. It was because people didn't stop pestering me about this fic that I am now seeking to have it published. So I really want to thank you all for helping me along my way. And my journey isn't over yet. Still have a long ways to go.


	21. Jason the Viking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally back with an update. I posted my Halloween fic, if you haven't read it yet. The title is "The Last Thing That You'll Hear". I feel like I have a lot I need to address. Two big things, and it's one of the reasons why I say I will have to go back and rewrite some things before publishing this as a book, is that I overlook things and cause mistakes to happen. An example is when Nico is fighting Circe, and I completely ignore Jason(who is the narrator of this story) and his entire response to watching this epic battle going down. There's no reaction at all. And I know that nobody really noticed, or at least didn't say anything. But it's there. Or rather isn't there.
> 
> Last chapter had an even bigger mistake. We found out the real Eros is dead, and Jason doesn't even react to this news. Nothing. He just found out his friend died and there is absolutely nothing. It's because I focus so much on the bigger action of the scene that I overlook things like this. Not only that, but there is no response when the nephilim wants to be called Eros. There was just so much emotion left out of last chapter, and I will have to fix it when it comes to the book. For now, just assume that he was devastated. This chapter addresses a more proper response from Jason. 
> 
> But this is part of what I mean when I say rewrite some parts of the story. If I say I'm going to change some things, just assume it's for the better. Probably changing some things for plot that I thought of after writing a past chapter. Like Merlin in this chapter. He gets brought up and I kind of with I hadn't mentioned the guy in a previous chapter, because Jason's response fits so much better if he weren't. And I'm just trying to write the chapters as I go like I want them to be in book format. Obviously I'll be doing polishing or adjusting later, but I need to write the story like I want it for the book. And it's really hard for me to now call all these character by their PJO names now. Nico is the worst for me. I literally have to go back and change his names sometimes because I catch myself calling him the name he will have in the book version.

Morning came as nothing but a nuisance for Jason, who had barely fallen asleep by the time the sun managed to find its way through his curtains. Perhaps he should have shut the curtains on his bed. Too late now, he told himself as he sat up. Normally he was much easier and more energetic when waking up. Not today. It just didn't feel the same.

Just a floor above him was the shell of his only mortal friend, which was now being inhabited by an immortal being. It still didn't feel real. The real Eros was gone. Jason just wanted it to be a dream, but it wasn't. This was real. This was his life now, an endless cycle of things he had previously thought impossible. There was no adjusting to this, was there?

Ever so slowly, Jason crawled out of bed and stood beside his bed. Minutes went by as he stood there, debating going upstairs. At least the blond didn't have school today. He was still trying to work out how he was going to go to school and feign ignorance as to why Eros was not at school. Maybe the nephilim was right, perhaps they couldn't keep him there indefinitely.

As he went to his closet, Jason caught sight of himself in the mirror. It made him cringe. Sure he had gone to school and out in public in the past in pajamas or sweat pants, but the blond looked horrible today. The dark circles under his eyes weren't quite as bad as Nico's, but it was very obvious that Jason had not slept. His torso was also beginning to show signs of neglect. With all this magic training and chaos going on around Aimes lately, Jason had not had much time to take care of himself.

He wasn't even sure when the last time he had worked out was. Mid October perhaps? Ever since he had learned the truth about the coven, Jason had just been so caught up in everything. Anything from before that had just been pushed to the side.

Jason put some fresh clothes on his bed before putting on a shirt and leaving his room. For a moment, he stood at the stairs and glanced up to the ones that went to the attic. What was Eros—the nephilim—even doing up there alone? He just... It was hard to refer to that thing as Eros. It didn't feel right, knowing that it was using his friend's body, even if it wasn't the nephilim's fault that Eros was gone.

“Someone didn't get their beauty sleep.”

Jason jerked a little at Percy's voice. The green-eyed youth was standing at the foot of the stairs, one foot on the bottom step and his hand on the banister. He also happened to be in his pajamas, which consisted of an old shirt that had seen better days and cotton shorts that were a little loose and threatened to fall off Percy's waist every time he moved. Jason cast a final look up towards the attic before slowly making his way down the stairs. “What are you doing here?” He asked, fighting off a yawn.

“Breakfast,” Percy replied. He placed his hands behind his head and shifted his weight onto his hip. “Dad and Hades are over to discuss things with Gaea.” Perhaps it was his lack of sleep, but Jason just wasn't handling Percy's grin this early in the morning. “So, Nico and I came over to get some breakfast. Your grandfather makes mean omelets, by the way.”

Blinking a few times, Jason replied, “Nico's here?”

Sure enough, the boy sat at the kitchen counter, still in his pajamas. Unlike Percy, Nico wore clothes that didn't threaten to leave him naked. The shirt was a little big, though, enveloping Nico like a miniature circus tent. His legs were covered with black pajama pants with a skull pattern. It wasn't until Jason got closer that he noticed that they were turkey skulls. They even had skull beaks.

Catching sight of the blond staring at his attire, Nico narrowed his eyes behind a mug of coffee. “Percy hexed them on the way over.” He pulled at the cloth on his legs and one of the skull heads scurried around to the other side of his leg. “They were just normal skulls.”

Percy snorted and sat down beside the boy. “Yeah, but my idea is more festive.”

On the other side of the kitchen island was Kronos, also in his pajamas, who arched a brow at Percy and put a plate of bacon in front of them. “I would not call Thanksgiving a day that really needs festivity, Perseus.” His golden eyes briefly fell on Jason, taking in the blond's horrible appearance. “You could have slept in a little longer, if you were having trouble resting.”

“I'm fine,” Jason mumbled as he sat down on the other side of Nico.

Blue eyes watched as Percy grabbed himself a piece of bacon and bit a some of it off. “Okay, but they are dead turkey, 'cause Thanksgiving is over.”

Kronos and Nico both let out groans. Reaching across the island, Jason grabbed the pot of coffee and poured him some in a mug. Nico slid him the creamer. As Percy and Kronos dove into a deep discussion about why the spell was funny, Nico silently stared at Jason and chewed on some bacon. He didn't say anything, but Jason knew what he was thinking. _Are you okay? Do you need to talk? Should I stay after breakfast?_

It was weird to think that this connection between them was due to a curse, when it only seemed to draw them closer. Sort of. There was still the actual curse part. He had that part to blame for not actually being in a relationship with Nico. And one glance at Kronos could remind him what might happen to them if they didn't fix the curse. Jason didn't want to lose Nico. Right now, Nico was the only solid thing it felt like Jason had to cling on to.

He got his own piece of bacon and looked back at Nico. _I'll be okay. Thank you._

Nico nodded and then chuckled. It was the same thought Jason had. Kronos and Percy both stopped talking and stared at them. “What's so funny?” Percy asked Nico.

“Nothing,” both Jason and Nico replied. The two glanced at each other and chuckled again. Percy just tilted his head to the side in confusion.

Kronos understood. Jason caught his eye. Sipping at his coffee, Kronos looked between Nico and Jason. He didn't have to say anything either, Jason knew. That fact didn't make him as happy as much as knowing what Nico was thinking did.

“So,” Jason finally voiced when Kronos went back to working on the omelets, “why is it only Hades and Poseidon that are here talking with my...” The words felt strange, even before they came out of his mouth. “With Gaea?”

That got a small chuckle out of Kronos. “You can just call her that, I'm sure she won't mind. I don't think she'd take too kindly to Granny or whatever it is that people call their great-grandmothers.” He shuddered. “Oh dear sweet goddess, please don't call me Gramps or PawPaw, or any other variation. Either Kronos or Granddad, please.”

“I thought you liked staying hip,” Nico smirked.

Kronos fixed him with a look before returning to his cooking. “The coven was formed back in Salem, after some... mishaps.” There was a pause, where Kronos blew out his breath. “Our families were the first three for about a year, then we started inducting more as the Salem Witch Trials became more problematic for us. But all of the families, for the most part, date back to old European families.” He levitated four omelets off of the stove and put them on plates before floating them to the island. “Our three families are more... what magical historians would call pure-bloods. Your bloodline has only ever married other old European blood.” He cut his eyes over to the other two boys in the kitchen, who looked like deer caught in headlights as they stopped in the middle of wolfing down their omelets. “As for them, their direct bloodlines are completely pure, but of course things did happen.”

“Like Hazel,” Nico cleared his throat and took a sip of coffee. He glanced at Jason, who was frowning. “It's not that Kronos is trying to sound racist, Jason, don't get upset.” He cut off another part of his omelet. “Back in the day, families were very strong minded about what bloodlines could mix together. Those laws lost their power after the witch trials both here in America and back in Europe. Lots of families were wiped out or went nearly extinct.”

Percy took a sip of Nico's coffee, which earned him a scowl from the shorter boy. “While all thirteen families in the coven here do date back to Europe, nobody enforces that old rule. Not even the High Coven. Hell, back in the Middle Ages, European witches and warlocks didn't even allow anyone besides their own to hold a seat. Which meant-”

“Only white,” Jason mumbled. There were nods from the other three.

Kronos took in a breath. “You'll find that our kind is just as imperfect as mortals. Or were. Not so much now. Present day, we all manage to get along fine.” He sipped at his coffee. “Nico's uncle, Pluto, was the first in his bloodline to ever procreate with anyone outside the European bloodlines, though.”

“Yes, but that didn't turn out so well for him,” Nico muttered bitterly.

Leaning back in his chair, Percy said, “Nico really doesn't like Marie.” That got him an elbow from said boy. Whining, Percy leaned back over his plate of food. This time, with a grin. “My family left Europe after some bad history with this Mongolian Khan's niece, back when eastern Europe was under the Mongolian rule of the Golden Horde.”

Both Nico and Kronos groaned. “He tells this story every single time his birthday rolls around, at least to his parents,” Nico said.

Pouting at his friend, Percy continued. “So, my family had to get out the area of what would later become Romania and Ukraine. Went west for a while, hit the coast. My great-great-grandfather seemed to like one of the port cities in Spain, then they became pirates.” Jason had to arch a brow at that. He heard that correctly, right? Chuckling, Percy took a bite of his food before continuing. “Sailed under a captain for a while, but then my great-grandfather declared a mutiny and took over the ship some years later. Too many questions about why he didn't age. Married that old captain's daughter and had my grandfather Neptune with her. And... let's see...” Percy scratched his head for a moment, thinking. “I think it was shortly after Neptune turned sixteen... I think... that they arrived in Salem. Never got to talk to him, but my dad said he had the best stories.”

There was a look on Kronos' face that Jason had never seen before, like he was reliving a lot of cringe worthy memories all at once. “He was something, yep.” Kronos cleared his throat and took a long drink of his coffee, eyes slightly wide. “No doubt in my mind that you are his blood.” A grunt from Kronos made Percy smile. “He definitely caused some whispers around the people of Salem. I don't think any of those poor puritans had any idea what to make of him or his parents.”

Slightly turning his head to the side, Jason caught Nico smiling at Percy. He gave the boy a nudge. “What about your family? Where did they come from?”

“Uh...” Nico chuckled with another look at Percy. “Nothing quite as adventurous, I assure you.” He cleared his throat, still smiling, and turned in his seat to look at the blond beside him. “My family is predominately Welsh and Irish. My magic dates back to old Celtic times. My... oh geeze. My... great-great-great... great? Something or other... Anyways, my whatever grandfather got to study under Merlin briefly, while he was serving as court sorcerer to Arthur.”

He might have been leaning in a little, smiling and nodding as Nico talked, but that last bit of information had him sitting up in his seat, nearly falling out of it. “Whoa! Hold on!” There was no more drowsiness left in him. “Arthur was real? So was Merlin? Camelot?” The other three warlocks in the kitchen nodded. “Like... is he still alive?”

“Don't know,” Kronos replied. “Gaea met him briefly, or so she claims.” His face contorted in thought and his lips scrunched together. “Or maybe she said it was a man claiming to be Merlin. Either way, Merlin is considered to be the most powerful witch or warlock to have ever existed. It is possible that he's still alive, I guess, but nobody saw him after Arthur died. Just disappeared.”

There were a few seconds where Jason's mouth just floundered and odd noises came out. This was like some of the coolest things he could be learning, and it was only breakfast! “I thought that... You...” He stared at Percy in amazement before shutting his mouth. Jason couldn't say the exact reason Percy had mentioned Merlin before out loud, but he could work around it. “I thought you were just being hypothetical when you mentioned Merlin before.”

“Nope,” Percy chuckled, finishing off the last of his omelet.

It definitely made Jason wonder what kind of ancestors the other families consisted of. Speaking of, what was he? Refilling his coffee, Jason looked at his grandfather. “So, what are we? Gaea's been around for a long time, right?” He asked. “Does she ever talk about the old days?”

Kronos gave a chuckle and took all the finished plates, depositing them into the sink. With a wave of his hand, the sink filled up with soapy water and a sponge began scrubbing the dishes. “There are things mortals came up with, you know,” Nico said with amusement. “They call them dishwashers.”

“They break,” Kronos deadpanned. He shook his head as he leaned against the counter. “Your ancestry consists primarily of middle Europe countries. Well, the northern part of it.” A finger tapped slowly on his lip as he thought to himself. “Germany, Denmark, Norway... an aunt from Sweden. Viking countries, and stuff like that.”

“Wait,” Jason said, “was Gaea a viking?”

The others chuckled at him. He wasn't sure what was so funny. None of these things sounded crazy to ask anymore. “No,” Kronos finally replied, still smiling. “Her father was, at least briefly. Mother also left home after a time. She doesn't talk much about before she left home, seems like she didn't get along with her mother.” He scratched his head with a frown. “Actually, she doesn't talk a whole lot about what her life was like before Salem. Bits and pieces, but that's it. Father met her in Boston some years before I was born, then they settled down in Salem, got married and had me.”

“Never asked her?”

A shrug from Kronos was the only reply Jason got at first. There was a pause, and then, “A few times. Never got anywhere with her. The records in Europe keep up with all known magic families. They list her birth, a few points here and there, then when she met my father and I was born.” A wave of his hand and another pot of coffee filled up. Percy and Nico instantly went to pour themselves some. “During the witch hunts, a lot of records were lost. Perhaps they were lost in some of the fires. It's just that one point she's over in France on the run, then she's suddenly in America. There's a huge gap of years in between.”

There were footsteps behind them, and then Hades and Poseidon entered the room. Hades stole his son's coffee and headed back the way we came. “Come along, Nico, time for lessons.”

Glaring at his father's back, Nico got up. Another cup of coffee appeared in his hand, the pot a little less full. He smiled at Jason. “I'll see you later.” His eyes flashed upstairs before she slowed down near the door. “Call me if you need me for anything.”

Jason nodded as the boy left. Poseidon poured himself some coffee and glanced over his mug at Kronos as he took a drink. “Your mother wanted to talk to you. She's in her study,” the man said. Kronos nodded and left the room. “I'm going into town to do some cleanup on last night's mess with Athena. Want to come, Percy?”

“I'm okay,” Percy grinned. He slung an arm around Jason. “Think I'm gonna keep Jason here some company today.” He nudged the blond with a finger. “Don't think your mopey appearance hasn't escaped me.”

Jason just rolled his eyes and Poseidon chuckled. “All right, just let me know if you want me to pick you up anything while I'm in town.” He turned to leave, but stopped and looked at his son again. “Keep out of trouble today. We have enough mess to cleanup already.”

“I'm innocent as an angel.”

Neither Jason or Poseidon believed that.

After Jason took a shower and got dressed, the blond went back downstairs to find Percy laying over the arm of one of the couches. Jason walked around and arched a brow at him. Looking up from his phone, Percy stared at Jason from upside down.

“So,” the green-eyed boy began, “a lot of the others are busy with lessons or running around town to do some cleanup, but Reyna is free.” There was a mischievous grin on the boy's lips as he talked, letting Jason know that nothing good was going to come of whatever the other boy wanted to do. “Have you explored the crypt yet?”

Before Jason could even reply, Percy popped up from the couch and made for the door. There wasn't much Jason could do besides follow after the raven haired boy. “Wait,” Jason called after the other warlock. “What's the crypt?”

“The place where the coven holds their meetings. Well, most of the time. Beneath the cemetery.”

Oh. Right. That place. Jason nodded as they walked. That place gave him the creeps. “What's down there? Aside from the meeting chamber.”

Still texting on the phone with Reyna, Percy was too busy to look up. It worried Jason that the boy would walk into a tree as they made their way through the wood, but Percy managed to navigate the path with ease. Probably a skill he had picked up from growing up here.

They found Reyna waiting for them at the border of the woods outside Ares' house. The place was a little less warm than most of the others. And that was saying something, considering Nico's family were necromancers. That house just felt old. Ares' house was less illuminated than the others. There were a lot of hunting trophies, including one that made Jason feel ill every time that he looked at it. Ares kept the head of a werewolf in a display case, apparently one of the last that had been hunted down by Ares' grandfather before he left the colder parts of Russia for America.

“You okay, Jason?” Reyna asked as she pocketed her phone. “Last night must have been very exhausting.”

“One way of putting it,” Jason whispered.

Percy motioned for them to head back into the woods and said, “I can't believe Gaea wants to keep that thing locked up in your attic.” That made two of them. Not that Jason knew what he wanted to do with the nephilim just yet. “This is insane. We can't even fully fix our problems right now. My parents said I can't use magic outside of the coven grounds.” It was then that Jason noted the pained expression on the boy's lips.

“What's wrong, Percy?”

“We... might have some problems on the horizon,” Reyna answered. “Other than the nephilim and its magic, I mean.” Letting out a breath, Reyna continued in a tone that revealed she wasn't as calm as she looked either. “The High Coven could find out about this incident. Gaea and Marie both have seats on it, so it could go overlooked, but the adults have been whispering about it. I know Ares was ranting around the house all last night.” Her dark eyes met with Percy's sea-green ones and the two frowned. “But there could be more.”

Licking his lips, Percy said, “Have you studied our history with witch hunters yet?” Jason shook his head in response. “Well, you see, our families didn't leave Europe because of the publicized witch trials. There were actual witch hunts in the 1600s.” Percy came to a stop when they reached the cemetery. “Not just in Europe, though the actual witch hunts did start there. Everywhere had hunts. It's why we have the High Coven now, to monitor the situation. Keep magic under wraps and us out of sight from the real danger.”

Brow furrowed, Jason slowly opened the gate and the three went into the cemetery. “How dangerous could some mortals be to witches and warlocks?”

The other two shared another look. This one seemed even more worrisome than the last. “Witches, like in history books, were tortured. The real ones were tortured by actual witch hunters.” She slid her hands into her jeans, shivering a bit, as Percy opened up the mausoleum. “Needless to say, they eventually cracked a few. After enough talked, they were able to gather plenty of methods to hunt and kill us.”

“It's why we don't just go flashing around our powers,” Percy added.

Reyna nodded. “Tried that in the dark ages. Didn't go so well.”

As they descended the stone steps of the crypt, Percy waved a hand and ignited the torches. “Maybe we should keep that nephilim around then.” His face looked deathly serious in the dark lighting. “Mortals don't have a good history with their encounters with a nephilim. They always manage to call them something nephilim find offensive.”

None of that was why Jason didn't want to keep the nephilim around. He didn't care about how destructive or chaotic they were. The blond was even putting aside everything that this one had done in Aimes since its arrival. It was the sole principle that this thing was inhabiting the body of someone that Jason had called a friend.

Jason had been so distracted in his thoughts that he didn't even notice Percy opening the door. His eyes snapped into focus as the stone door opened and Percy put the knife back in the bowl. Instead of going over to the council chamber, Percy directed them to the left. He inserted his medallion into the door that Jason had noted the last time he had been down here and stepped aside.

A low rumbling filled the chamber as the stone door swung open and light erupted into life from within. Percy motioned for Jason to go inside. The blond carefully stepped in, Reyna right behind him. Inside were thousands upon thousands of books. Shelves that rose high above his head and rows that went back for what seemed like miles. How far did this expand underneath the city? No wonder they kept so much land.

Extending her hand out, lanterns sprang to life on a section of tables. Behind them were display cases, an alchemy station, and a few shelves that had small drawers all over them. She motioned to those shelves. “Demeter likes to grow her own supplies, but some things are not easy to come by. It's enchanted to refill any ingredient that has been placed inside its containers. Some of those things don't even exist anymore.”

“A perk of having Gaea around,” Percy explained. “That woman could very well be older than the dinosaurs.”

Rolling her eyes, Reyna said, “You know she's not that old. She was born 1328.” The girl let her fingers slide across the alchemy station, eyes not really focusing on anything. “Northern part of Germany. Her father had come down from Norway after a venture into the northern parts of England.”

Jason took a few steps into the giant expanse of book shelves. “Where did all these come from?”

“Some are copies,” Percy explained. “Others were rescued by people in our families during the witch trials. Europe was a bad place during all that. A lot of texts got burned.” He grinned at the look of awe on the blond's face. “You should see the High Coven library, it's way bigger. Only been once myself. Nico and Annabeth came along with my family. I swear, I lost them in there for what seemed like days.”

“Wait.” Jason stopped and spun around in confusion. “I thought Nico avoided the High Coven?”

Reyna leaned against one of the shelves. “Indirectly. They know he exists, of course, but not the nature of his birth. Gaea and Marie both agreed that it would be best to keep the use of dark magic a secret from them.” Her expression soured, like something bad passed through her taste-buds. “Gaea, being the oldest witch alive-”

“And the most powerful,” Percy threw in.

Sighing, Reyna shook her head. “Yes, thank you for the commentary.” Percy just stuck his tongue out at her. “Anyways, Gaea sits at the head of the High Coven... technically. She heads it when they are in session, but another warlock oversees things since she lives here. He's kind of an asshole.” Spinning a chair around, the witch sat down. “So, Nico has been around them before, but they don't know anything else. They just chalk his dark aura up to being the grandson of one of the darkest warlocks to be alive in a few hundred years.”

Okay, he really wished someone would just tell him what Tartarus did. Kronos said one thing, Nico didn't like talking about his grandfather, and everyone else painted him to be a royal dick. He had seemed dark in one or two of Jason's glimpses of the past, but a lot of it had shown Tartarus to be a nice person. At least in Salem. Everything after that seemed like a downward spiral into a pit.

None of them really said much else after that. It no longer surprised Jason, honestly. Whenever Tartarus' name got brought up, conversations usually seemed to die off fast after that. The only reason he didn't try bringing the guy up to Kronos was because Jason was sure it would do nothing but open old wounds for his grandfather.

For an hour or two, Jason got to explore the chamber and familiarize himself with things. There were so many books. A lot caught his attention for later reads. Books on long dead supernatural beings. There was even a count of accurate history in the library. Forbidden spells, long forgotten arts that magical scholars hoped to reopen one day, and tomes that date back to biblical times. There were books that contained lists of great witches and warlocks throughout the centuries, as well as those lost in the many witch hunts since the dawn of their kind. It was surprising to learn that their kind had been hunted for so long.

Artifacts were on display in the corners of the room and in between shelves. There was no telling how many were in here exactly, as Jason only explored the front of the massive army of bookshelves. Jason got a brief explanation of all that he looked at. There was Merlin's first staff. A branch that had looked brittle, which neither Reyna or Percy could explain. They only knew it had been put there by Tartarus, and the warlock had never told anyone what it was. An old rifle and crossbow that had been recovered from witch hunters. The bullet and arrow that were also inside the case had been carved with old runes.

Sadly, Jason found out he couldn't take any of the books out of the crypt. That was what the tables were for. They looked around for a good while, until Jason's eyes started to hurt a bit from the low lighting. “Don't want to damage your eyesight anymore,” Percy teased him, getting a shove from the blond in response.

They left the cemetery and headed back to Jason's house, where another sort of surprise was waiting for them.

It was very hard to move from where he stood in the doorway to the living room. His feet just wouldn't move, his body in shock. The volume on the TV was on obscenely loud, while a wide array of snacks covered the glass table in front of the L-shaped couch. A foot was tapping lightly across the arm of the couch, a blanket wrapped around the rest of the body of none other than the nephilim.

Percy reached out and picked up several discarded wrappers and kicked at many more that were on the floor. “Did you eat everything in the kitchen?”

Eros just blinked up at him, his eyes a little dazed, like he had been so absorbed in the TV show that he had been watching. He groaned and rolled onto his back, the edges of his mouth covered in chocolate and what looked like spaghetti sauce. “Food so good.” Letting out another groan, the nephilim rolled onto his stomach. “How do you stomach all of this?”

“Usually, we spread out our meals,” Reyna mumbled. She arched a brow at the thing on the couch and crossed her arms. “How much did you eat?”

“I lost count.”

This was ridiculous. Jason shook his head in frustration. “Are you two just going to ignore the fact that this... thing is just sitting here on the couch, unsupervised?” Blue eyes stared hatefully down at the nephilim, who just groaned again. He understood why Luke had gotten so angry, it was so hard to look at this thing inhabiting Eros' body.

“He is not unsupervised,” came Kronos' voice. The warlock entered the room with a glass of water and some alka-seltzer. His face was completely void of any sort of emotion as he placed the glass in front of Eros. “He and my mother reached an understanding while you were all gone.” When nobody said anything, the warlock motioned to the TV. “The power is back on. He turned all the electricity back on in exchange for being let out of that room. He's still bound.”

To show them it was true, Eros held up his hands and blue chains of energy sparked to life until the nephilim let his hands fall into his lap. It didn't really do much to make Jason feel any better. The same apparently could be said about Reyna and Percy, who had both somehow made it to the door.

“Where are you going?” Jason called after them.

Percy stopped in the doorway and blew out a breath. His eyes darted over to the living room. “Just... you know, not feeling so comfortable with that thing laying around so freely.” A spasm ran through Percy's body and he stepped outside. “We can hangout later, if you want. Just not here.” His eyes lingered briefly towards the couch that the nephilim laid on before leaving through the door.

Sighing, Jason shut the door and went back over to Kronos. “Does it really have to be out here?”

“I'm right here,” Eros groaned. He reached out and took the water and alka-seltzer. “I don't understand this show.”

With a final look at Jason, Kronos silently left the room and headed up the stairs. Just great, Jason thought to himself as he plopped down several spaces away from the nephilim. His attention turned to the TV. “What can you possibly not understand about Supernatural?” It was several seasons in, somewhere after the angels had shown up. “Offended by the crossroad demons?”

“Well, yes, but not just that.” The thing made a face and motioned at the TV. “Like, what is wrong with the writers? Do they hate me? Why do they make us seem so weak?”

That got an eyebrow raise out of Jason. “Weak? How are the angels or demons weak?”

Apparently it should have been obvious. Sliding down into the couch, Eros pulled the blanket over the top of his head and frowned. “They die so easy. They are like pushovers.” He stared over at Jason like he expected the blond to know what he was talking about. Jason didn't. “Mortals can't kill us. Never have been able to. And the exorcism? Total hogwash. Mortals have no power over us. They can't fight us. Witches and warlocks can't even really fight us.”

“Seems like we are doing a pretty good job at the moment.”

“Ha ha,” Eros rolled his eyes. “I would just like to remind you, in my defense, that I am bound in this body. It dampens my magic. While I am in this...” He pulled on his cheek with a sigh, “body, my magic is just barely above any of you. Now that...” He thrust a finger at the TV. “That is just offensive. I should write the people that make this show and give them a piece of my mind. Or a smiting.”

Well, at least that was good to know. With the nephilim bound, Jason doubted that he had much to worry about at the moment. Aside from the fact that he still did not know why the nephilim had wanted them to catch him. And there was that other contract that the thing had shown him before. Jason needed to know what it was.

“Has anyone ever told any of you that you are basically like children?” Jason mumbled, rubbing a hand across his face as he attempted to focus his attention back on the show.

There was a pause, and then, “Well, yes, as a matter of fact.” Eros picked up the remote and began making the volume rise and drop. “Not that people usually live very long after they do so.”

“Why exactly are you all like this?”

Tapping a finger to his lips, Eros let his head fall back against the couch. “Not sure, to be honest. Just always have been.” His arms flopped down on either side of him. “Not that we always were 'angels of death', as people call us. That job came after people started to worship the gods. Now we have to have these responsibilities.” The thing scoffed and tossed the remote into the air, catching it with relative ease. “Along came the gods and we found ourselves working for them. Bummer.” His eyes darted around the room, like he expected something to come after him. “Interesting. Seems like I'm basically invisible inside this body. Can't communicate with my kind or the gods. Normally, whenever we say something bad about them, the gods get upset. Jokes on them now!” The nephilim cackled and slid farther down in his seat.

It just didn't feel right to look at the nephilim. Every time that he did, Jason had to remind himself that he was no longer looking at his friend. Eros—the real Eros—was gone. 

“He's in a better place, if that makes you feel any better.”

The nephilim's voice shook Jason from his thoughts. He looked over at the thing with a furrowed brow. “How do you know?” The blond whispered.

There was a lot of motioning from the nephilim to himself. “Hello! I know what the afterlife is like. He was a good person. He'll be happy. Well, he can be.” Popping his lips, Eros reached out and grabbed a handful of popcorn. “Shouldn't say that. Bad me.”

“I was supposed to die,” Jason whispered. He wasn't sure if he meant it as a question or not, the words had just slipped out.

“Yes,” was all the nephilim said.

He wasn't sure if that was supposed to make him feel better or not. Truth be told, it didn't make Jason feel anything. He was supposed to have died, that was obvious by now. What he did not know was how he had survived. “The last thing he actually said to me...”

“To be fair, Eros did not know that it would be the last time he saw you.” There was only one piece of popcorn left in the nephilim's hand and he held it up for inspection. “At least he got to tell you goodbye then.”

“And you kissed Luke.” Jason glanced over at Eros, whose eyes sparked up a bit. “What is the deal with that? You can't just... do that under the guise of someone else.”

Leaning on his side, Eros let his feet dangle off the side of the couch again. He was wrapped up tight in the blanket as he watched Jason from where he laid on the couch. “Honestly, I can find people somewhat appealing, but that is about the extent of it.” He waved a hand towards Jason's mouth when the blond tried to speak. “Uh-uh. No try to explain things away. Look, I'm still trying to figure this situation out. I get tired now. I like sleeping. Food is good. I start to smell if I don't bathe. It's weird.” Reaching under the blanket, the nephilim tugged at his hair. “And this... head... These thoughts are maddening. It's like I see his memories. Like I can no longer tell where my essence ends and the lingering traces of his personality begins.”

“How does that even begin to explain what I asked?”

There was a heavy sigh as Eros scrambled to sit up, nearly falling off the couch as he got tangled in the blanket. Yes, this was the thing that he thought had been so terrifying the night they first met. “Do I need to draw you a picture? How about a diagram?” He waved a hand over the table, but nothing happened. “Stupid bindings. No, I was serious, drawing is fun. Do you think they have any crayons or markers around here?”

For a long time, Jason just blinked at the thing. He finally said, “You are so weird.”

“Thank you.” Finally managing to remove himself from the death trap that was the blanket, the nephilim stood up. “As I was saying, the remnants of Eros' memories... I touched his soul when I entered his body, as it was dying. I absorbed his thoughts and memories. I just am not fully him, obviously. I am still me. I am still a nephilim. But... some things are him. Follow?”

Sort of? Jason wasn't sure. It sort of made sense. It was just weird. All of this was weird. Then again, that was Jason's life now, wasn't it? There was no such thing as normal anymore.

“I kissed Luke because, deep down, Eros had feelings for him.” He held up a finger before Jason could say anything. “However, if I had not come along, I can safely say that Luke's little crush on Eros would have just remained a crush.” Letting out a scoff, Eros twisted his upper body around and looked at the back of his leg. “Honestly, I don't think this boy would have grown the courage to even explore his sexuality until after high school. Too worried about his parents finding out. Even then, I have no real way of knowing if Luke would have had a chance with him. I get why Luke is mad.” Eros lightly patted his own cheek. “I mean, look at me. How could anyone not be mad? I am possessing the body of his dead crush. And, yet...” Eros' brow furrowed as he sat back on the couch. “I feel weird.”

“Probably just the food again. You should really try pacing yourself.”

“No,” Eros replied. “I mean last night, with Luke. I felt... strange when he yelled at me.” He looked down at his hands, like the night they had found him in the water. It made sense now. The nephilim had been shocked to wake up trapped inside that body, actually feeling things. “I don't know what this feeling is.”

Jason had to take a moment to think. After Luke's outburst, what had happened? He thought back to the nephilim, how the thing looked. Blue eyes snapped open as realization dawned on him. No wonder the nephilim didn't understand the emotion, they probably never experienced it.

So, he finally said, “You were sad. Upset. Hurt.” That did not seem to comprehend with the nephilim. “Um, opposite of happy.”

“Angry?”

“No.” Jason rapidly shook his head. “Not like that at all.” He blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. How was he supposed to explain an emotion? “You never felt this when some poor little kid died? You didn't feel bad for them?”

“I did not?” Eros tilted his head to the side, clearly confused. “My job is my job. Circumstances are unfortunate, but the child would be better off in the afterlife. Why would I feel bad for them?”

Oh boy. This was going to be a long adjustment. Jason really hoped the coven was not planning to let Eros back in school. There was no way this was going to work. He had passed for a while, sure, but how long would it be before someone might accuse him of being something like an alien? The thing only seemed to really comprehend happiness and anger.

Leaning forward, Jason placed his hand in his face and let out a loud groan. Then something hit him. “Okay, I've got it. You've visited people in the hospital when you had to go collect them, yes?” There was a nod from Eros. “Okay, did you ever see their families crying?” Another nod. “That's sadness. It's a depressing state where you feel grief, helplessness, or even misery. It... How do I put this? It can leave you feeling paralyzed. You were sad and hurt by what Luke said. His words hurt you because you now have the ability to feel and think like Eros did. Like humans do.”

If it was possible, Eros looked even more ill than he had after eating all that junk food. “I'm like a human?” His face was so mortified. It was actually rather humorous to see something so mighty be put down to the same level that humans were at. “I feel... disgusting. With myself. Like how do you people deal with this? Make it stop.” He shot up from his seat. “Make it stop right now.”

Trying to hold back a smile, Jason looked up at the nephilim. “You're sure you can't just leave it?”

“No!” Eros shouted. “I would have left the body already. This is horrible news.” Back and forth the boy began to pace, chewing on his fingernails. “I feel dreadful.”

“So, could you not go do nephilim things?”

“I-” Eros frowned down at himself and then looked behind his shoulders, trying to get a look at his back. “I feel so different. And I don't hear them anymore. I don't hear death's call.” He walked over and opened a window. Did he honestly expect that to help him hear anything? “I don't feel people dying anymore. I mean, in the town I do, but that is it. I didn't leave because I needed to deal with the parents and Khione. Plus I was having fun.”

Frowning to himself, Eros wrapped himself back up in the blanket and sat down with a huff. There was no more asking questions. As soon as he sat down, Eros rose the volume of the TV up so loud that Jason had to leave the room to protect his eardrums. “He's taking this well,” Jason mumbled to himself as he went up to his room.

\---------------------------------------

On Sunday night, Jason decided to try and control his glimpses of the past. He had been studying a lot of the books that Kronos had given him, and Jason thought he had a decent handle on what to do. Before he went to bed, the blond set out the incense and crushed up some herbs and ash to mark his forehead with. All he had to do then was drift off to sleep.

Not to say that Jason didn't have some trouble starting off. It all started off with a brief flash of a viking ship, then he caught a glimpse of of Kronos and Tartarus having sex. That one would give him the creeps for a long time to come. Things slowed down briefly, showing Jason an entire settlement being burned with bloodcurdling screams coming from everywhere. Time briefly stopped before Jason was flung forward.

It worked. It was what he wanted, but Jason felt a little smaller watching things play out again. A familiar street, a flash of a restaurant door opening and three individuals coming out into the night sky. They were all so happy, smiling and laughing. Jason felt a pain in his chest, like he had been stabbed, as he watched his younger self walk down the street with his parents. He didn't want them to get any further. There was no stopping it, though, not like this. He was not physically here.

“Why exactly are you here?”

Jason partly wondered that himself. He turned to find Nico standing beside him, hands in his pockets. The blond blinked at him. “I can actually see you.”

“I'd imagine so,” Nico replied. Those dark eyes of his turned their attention back to Jason's parents. “More than likely, your bindings were what clouded our connection. You can't fully block out a curse, though. Your father knew that. Not sure why he thought differently.” Briefly glancing up at Jason, Nico frowned. “But why are you here?”

Part of him wanted to lay it all out for Nico. He liked to imagine that one day he could come back here and change the past, but could Jason actually do that? One day. He still had them in his dreams. There was no harm in coming back to watch his parents in the past, like he usually did with Kronos and Tartarus, right? It just hurt. That was a common feeling for Jason at the moment. No matter how much he tried, nobody would let him change the past. He wanted to, so very badly, but what would change as a price for that? Did he dare to find out?

“I just...” Jason whispered. “I wanted to see them again. I needed to see this.” There was no taking his eyes off his parents as they walked a fourteen year old Jason towards their car. “I need to know why I'm still alive. I died that night, yet here I stand.”

There was no response from Nico right away. When Jason looked over at the boy, he found that Nico was rubbing his fingertips together. Nico caught Jason staring and placed his hands behind his back. “Then I'll watch with you.” Smiling, he took a step closer to the blond. “Are you going to be okay?”

“No,” Jason simply replied. “Doesn't mean I'm not going to watch this.” His shoulders slumped as he saw the gunman step out from under the street lamp. There was a burning sensation in his chest and the blond's hand rose to rub it. Was he already feeling the bullet? “Thank you for being here with me.”

Though strained, Nico said, “Don't mention it.” He looked a little paler than normal, perhaps pained to watch this actually happen.

A gunshot went off, drawing Jason's attention away from Nico. His father's body went to the ground and Jason's mother grabbed Jason and attempted to run. Another shot took the woman down. Run, Jason wanted to scream to himself. The pain in his chest began to grow stronger. It felt like his skin was about to sear off the bone. A third gunshot hit younger Jason in the chest and the boy went down beside his mother.

The gunman took Zeus' wallet as Beryl and Jason lay dying. His mother reached over and cradled Jason's cheek as she bled out, her hand dropping to the ground when she was finally gone. Nothing was happening, though. People were panicking everywhere, some calling it in. But nothing. He was just laying there, dying.

Another sharp pain to his chest. It was like someone was driving a dull object in and trying to pry out his heart. He finally whipped around to ask Nico what was happening to him, only to panic. Nico was hunched over on his knees. Parts of his back were fading away into smoke.

“Nico!” Jason slid down beside the boy and attempted to grab him, only for his hands to pass right through.

Finally holding out his hand for Jason to see, it finally clicked as to what Nico was staring at. His hand had begun to fade away. Panic filled those dark orbs as Nico looked up at Jason. What was he supposed to do? What was happening? Jason tried to find some part of Nico that he could actually touch. Everything just passed straight through. He tried to touch Nico's face and the boy evaporated into smoke and blew away.

Shooting up in bed, Jason found himself covered in sweat. There was a heavy pounding on the door downstairs and Jason shot out of bed. His heart was racing. Nico. He had to find out if Nico was okay. He threw on some sweats and a shirt and bolted out of his room, only skidding to a halt when he got halfway down the stairs.

Kronos was shutting the door and looked up with his eyes to find Jason on the stairs. Hades carefully put an unconscious Nico on the couch, his body wrapped tightly in a blanket. Kronos motioned with his fingers for Jason to follow him.

When Jason was able to look better, he saw that Nico's lips were blue. His skin was so pale. There were dark circles under his eyes, like blackness would spill out the second Nico opened them. He slowly reached down to touch Nico's hand. And had to rip it right back. Nico's skin was so cold. Far colder than Jason had ever felt it before. His chest still burned, aching dully inside.

“What's wrong with him?” Jason finally managed to find his voice.

Kronos took a step forward and felt Nico's forehead. His golden eyes flashed briefly and green light ran across his palm. Nothing changed with Nico. Letting out a breath through his nose, Kronos let his eyes wander from Hades to Jason. “It happens. Usually not this bad. He's slipping beyond the veil.” His eyes lingered on Jason. “Let me guess, he was with you in a dream?”

Was this his fault? “Yes,” Jason whispered. “I didn't... Did I do this?”

“No,” Hades replied. Concern filled his eyes, which never left Nico. “He slips sometimes. It's been getting worse since your arrival, but I cannot blame you for that.” His brow furrowed as he shifted his attention to Kronos. “I do have to wonder if it's the split of the bonds.”

“Bonds?”

Grunting, Kronos rubbed his chin. “Nico is tied to you by the curse, the stronger of the pulls. He also has a tie to Percy through the blood ritual.” He ruffled his hair in frustration as he observed the unconscious boy before him. “It is possible that the tether to Percy is causing some problems. It was just the best fix we could find at the time.” Kronos locked onto Jason's gaze, noting his questioning eyes. “We made Percy and Nico blood brothers a few years back, so that Nico could have an anchor to the world of the living. So that, whenever he stumbled too far to the other side, he would have something to help find his way back. Nobody else could except Percy. We tried Bianca first, since she's blood, but it nearly killed her.” His eyes dulled as Kronos watched Nico's face. “Nico was too powerful to bond with just anyone.”

“I'll do it,” Jason said without thinking.

It didn't matter the price. Saving Nico was more important than whatever it was. It was the first time that he had really thought about this, that he would do anything for Nico. Jason thought he would be scared about that fact. He wasn't. He just wanted Nico to wake up. It was the only thing that mattered at the moment.

The two older warlocks shared a look. Kronos placed a hand on Jason's shoulder. “I don't think-”

Smacking the hand away, Jason moved to sit down beside Nico, putting the boy's head in his lap. Even through the blanket, the blond could feel how cold the boy was. “I already know the process. At least what it means. If Percy is willing to go through with it, I'll be Nico's blood brother.”

Hades seemed hesitant. “Do we... know if that will work?” His eyes lingered on his son. “What if the curse has a negative side effect? Is that possible?”

“We don't have a way of knowing,” Kronos replied. He sighed and sat down on the arm of the couch. “I never had to worry about this with Tartarus, and you didn't have to worry about it because you didn't have Tartarus' soul.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. Footsteps could be heard on the stairs. Kronos didn't pay them any attention. “If it works, Nico would have a more stable tether than before. Honestly, if anyone would be qualified for this, it would probably be Jason.”

Jason's head snapped up when he noticed Gaea standing in the corner of the room. She held out a hand and some objects flew out of a box from the mantle above the fireplace. The swirled above her hand and dust came out of a vial. She mixed it together with a liquid before walking over to the couch and handing it to Jason. He didn't have to be told what he needed to do with it.

As Jason poured the concoction into Nico's mouth, Gaea sat down in a leather chair. “Let him stay here tonight. I'm sure that Nico will be back to himself by the morning and able to go to school.” She offered a weak smile to Hades, who nodded. “I'll call you if he gets any worse. And I'll let you know in the morning how he is.”

Briefly looking at Jason with a look that Jason couldn't quite place, Hades crouched down beside Nico and ran his fingers through the boy's messy hair. He mumbled something into Nico's ear before standing back up. Silently nodding to Kronos and a final look to his son, Hades slowly walked out of the house.

Jason wasn't sure where to look. What exactly were they supposed to do now? He frowned down at Nico, who still didn't seem any better. “He can have my bed,” the blond offered.

Arching his brow, Kronos smiled a little. “That is the idea, Jason.” He got up from the arm of the couch and walked behind it, heading for the stairs. “Make sure to put an extra blanket on the bed.” On the stairs, he stopped and gave Jason another look. “And make sure you hold him very closely.”

Wait... what? His head snapped over to Gaea, who looked amused. “What, you thought we would care that you slept with your boyfriend?”

“But Hades...” Jason's head looked down at Nico, eyes wide. “He knows this?” Gaea nodded. “But he was fine with it!” Another nod. “And we aren't dating.”

“Must I endure this all over again?” She opened her hand and a martini appeared in it. She slowly knocked it back. “You sound like your grandfather.” Standing, Gaea looked over at them. “Do you require any help getting him upstairs.”

“No,” was all that Jason said.

As she left, Gaea stopped in the doorway. “And Hades was fine with it because you are the best anchor that Nico has. Why do you think he brought his son over here, instead of to Percy?” She turned her head to look at the blond on the couch. “All you have to do is lay next to him through the night and he will be back to his normal self by the morning. Your curse may be causing you some bumps in the road, but it is also allowing you to help him more than anyone else is capable of.” Her eyes softened as she looked down at her empty martini glass. “The tether he made with Percy was only temporary, everyone knew that. If you had not come along... Well, Nico probably would have faded away in just a few short years.”

He was left in silence as Gaea went back up the stairs. A quick glance at the clock told Jason that it was nearly two. He sighed and got up, turning to pick Nico up in his arms. It was like the ice was slowly spreading across his body as the blond carried Nico up to his room. There was a familiarity about the feeling. Empty. Cold. Draining. It reminded him of the night he got to meet Circe face to face.

As gently as he could, Jason placed Nico down on his bed and slid his legs under the covers. He managed to untangle the boy from the blanket before draping it over the comforter. From there, he went in search of another blanket. He would be burning up for sure, but it was worth it.

After a five minute search, Jason returned with an armful of blankets. He only added one more, but brought the rest just in case he needed more later. With a frown down at the boy, Jason yanked his shirt over his head and stripped himself down to his boxers. Crawling under the covers, Jason slid over to Nico and pulled the boy to his side. He felt like he was sleeping outside in the Antarctic. But Jason held on. He would not let go.

\-------------------------------------

The next time that Jason was woken from his sleep, it was because his alarm clock was blaring in his ear. There was a slight weight on his left arm, preventing him from rolling over to silence it, so the blond had to stretch his arm out. Blue eyes opened and Jason smiled down at the black head of hair in his face. Nico was still fast asleep, pressed tightly up against his side.

Then it hit him. Pressed tightly against his side. Jason blinked down at the boy in his arms. Nico was warm now. Actually, he was very warm. Color had returned to Nico's lips as well, and the boy must have kicked back the blankets in the middle of the night, as all but the sheet was on top of them.

He never did try to finish his dream last night. There was no point. Well, there was, but Nico's life was more important. There was a long time, where Jason just laid there and admired Nico's sleeping face. It was so peaceful that Jason couldn't help but smile and reach out to brush his fingers across Nico's cheek.

Soft eyelashes fluttered open and Nico's hand snapped up to grab Jason's hand before it could pull away. Nico sat up in the bed and put a hand to his head with a groan. “Wha- Jason?” His hand rubbed at his neck as he stared around Jason's room. “Did my dad bring me here?”

“Yeah,” the blond replied. He wasn't sure if it was okay to touch the other boy, so he just propped himself up on his elbow and watched Nico absorb everything. “You had us pretty worried there. You should have said something last night to me.”

“I didn't...” Nico finally looked back at Jason with a frown. “Sorry. I thought I could pull it together.” His hands fell into his lap with a defeated look. Nico might have looked better overall, but there was something in his eyes that told Jason that he was still drained. “I was wrong.” Brushing his hair out of his face, Nico mumbled, “Thank you.”

If Nico was not in a so defensive mood, perhaps Jason should press his luck. “You know, I was thinking... I mean, your dad and Kronos agreed that it would be a good course of action...” He fumbled when he looked up to find Nico staring at him with a dark expression. It might have made the blond squirm a little. Not that he would admit it. “We could-”

“No.”

“But you don't even know what I was going to say!”

Nico slipped out of bed. “I really do.” He sighed when he could not find his shoes anywhere. “You want to become my blood brother. The answer is no.”

“But-”

“No. It's a two letter word, not hard to understand.” Nico stretched his fingers and frowned. “It's too dangerous, Jason. It's painful. Even more so for me and Percy.” A hand shot through his hair as he focused his dark gaze on Jason once again. “Just... I don't want to talk about this.”

Slumping his shoulders, Jason let his head hit the pillow. He watched Nico just stand there for a moment before holding his hand out. “Then will you at least come back to bed?” Jason turned his head to look at the clock. It was only ten after eight, they could kill a little time. “We can quickly get ready for school in a bit.”

The corner of Nico's lips tilted up. “I hope you mean separately.” His arms were still crossed as he sat down on the edge of the bed. He didn't fight anything as Jason wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him down onto the mattress. Nico groaned and rolled over, resting his head next to Jason's shoulder. “How are you? Are you okay?”

“I think so,” Jason whispered. There was no need for Nico to have to explain what he meant, Jason knew. It wasn't about last night, it was about the night before. Eros. “We talked a little. He's... not so bad actually?” The look he got was not so convinced. “I mean, I don't know. Calling him Eros is going to take some getting used to, sure, but I think it won't be so bad. Not the loss of my friend part, just having the nephilim around. He's... sort of melding with Eros' memories and persona.”

Nico laid on his back, thinking this over. He didn't move as Jason intertwined their fingers. “There's no precedence for this. I don't think anything like this has ever happened.” His head lolled to the side to stare at Jason, who was so entranced with tracing every inch of Nico's hand with his free one. “Are you even listening to me?”

“Of course,” Jason smiled. He let their hands drop between them and grinned at the boy beside him. “You know, we do have the nephilim situation under control now...”

“Yes, we do.” Nico arched a brow. Jason could already tell that Nico knew exactly what he was going to say. Perhaps it was the curse. If so, Jason didn't like it at times like this. It was so hard to hide his emotions from Nico. “It doesn't change my answer.” There was a long silence that sat between them, far too long for Jason's liking. Finally, Nico said, “Jason, we don't even know what will happen when we break the curse. I do plan on breaking it. We just need Circe. For all we know, we won't feel the same about each other after it's gone.”

There it was. Something to truly put a damper on his morning. It had been such a good morning, too. Jason groaned and rolled onto his side, away from Nico. “This sucks,” he groaned. “I just want to kiss you, and now you're telling me this.”

Sighing, Nico grabbed Jason by the shoulder and forced the taller boy to roll onto his back again. Jason smiled as Nico leaned into him. Nico was really pretty, even more so up this close where he could admire every detail. Then came the words that made Jason regret what he had just said about it being a terrible morning.

“You can kiss me.”

Shooting up, Jason grinned. “Really?”

“You're like a child,” Nico mumbled as he laid on his back with his hand behind his head. “Yes. You saved me last night.” It seemed to be at that moment that Nico truly realized Jason's state of undress. A light blush touched his cheeks as his eyes raked across the blond's torso. “Plus, I do really enjoy kissing you.”

Not wanting to let the moment slip away, Jason quickly leaned over Nico and sealed their lips together. He had to prop himself up with his hands for the most part, but Jason did manage to get his hands onto both sides of Nico's hips. He moaned as his fingers slid under the boy's shirt and felt the soft skin underneath. Nico's hands came up, one to cradle Jason's cheek and the other to rest on the back of Jason's neck.

Moaning into Jason's mouth, those longs legs of Nico's bent at the knee and rose to Jason's sides. The blond pressed their bodies closer together and they both moaned at the contact. He had missed this. Jason had missed being this close to Nico. After New Orleans and the news that Nico wanted to stay just friends for the time being, every moment of Jason's life had been torture. No matter how close they had been, it felt like miles apart. Until now. His hands slid up under Nico's shirt and lifted it up.

Nico raised his arms to allow Jason to remove it and toss it to the floor. Sealing their lips together again, Nico wrapped his arms around Jason's neck. A strong hand ran along the bottom of Nico's legs, feeling every inch as it made it way up to the inner thigh. Tongues clashed as Jason pressed Nico even more into the bed. His eyes glanced at the clock as they continued to kiss.

If there was ever a moment where he could learn to stop time around himself, he wished that it was right now. Jason would give anything to turn the few minutes they had left into hours. They needed to get ready for school soon. Five more minutes, part of Jason's brain thought as Nico gasped upon Jason kissing a sweet spot along his jaw.

With a loud banging on the door, the two shot apart just in time as the door opened. Kronos poked his head in, took one look at them, and shut the door again. “School is in thirty minutes. Get ready,” he called from the other side.

Nico was sitting up by the time that Jason turned his head to look at him again. His mouth was raised to cover his mouth and his face was red. But then... he laughed. That was a little unexpected. Nico chuckled and fell back onto the mattress for a second before rolling himself off and standing up. The smile persisted on his face as the boy reached down and retrieved his shirt.

“I'm going to go,” he announced with another chuckle. Those dark eyes of his sparkled as he gave Jason a final smile and disappeared into the shadow of Jason's bed that was on the floor.

Smiling to himself, Jason laid his head on his pillow and sighed in contentment. There was no way Nico was going to hold out with this whole “just friends” thing. And Jason was nothing if not patient. This was just the hardest waiting game that he ever had to endure. But, if Nico's demeanor before he left was anything to go by, things were looking good between the two of them.

By the time he got to school, Jason's mood was still going strong. Thankfully, the blond had a grandfather that could slow down time to allow his grandson to get ready and make it to school on time. Even had time to eat some breakfast. Jason needed to remember to thank Kronos for not being an uptight grandparent. He did need to learn how to do that himself, though. Luckily, Kronos said he was willing. Such a great guardian. There was no way his father would have approved of this.

Then his mood was soured as he walked through the halls. He overheard Kinzie ask Octavian if he had seen Eros any today and the blond just shook his head in reply as he shoved some books into his locker. That had been what caused Jason's smile to fall. He was so happy that he had forgotten that his friend had died. And he could not tell anyone. So he just ducked his head and continued on his way. He barely touched his food at lunch.

Then came English. The class might turn into Jason's least favorite class by the end of the year. Hell, even the end of the semester. Why? Because it was the one class that he shared with Eros, and he knew that he would have to sit in there every single day and lie to not only the teacher, but the other students in the class.

When it came to Eros' name, Hestia looked at the empty desk with a frown. “Has anyone seen Eros today? It's not like him to miss class.”

Jason wanted to scream. He was internally. His fingers dug into the desk to keep himself from shouting that Eros had been murdered by his own father and his corpse was being used as a vessel for a supernatural being. But hey! At least he's not rotting as he's being possessed! Bright side.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Jason shut his eyes for a moment. “I think he's out sick today,” Jason said. Reyna and Rachel both looked at him. Not helping. “I'm sure he will be back soon.” Stop talking. No. Cease. Desist. Bad Jason. “I can take his assignments to him, though.” Why? Where was his mouth filter when he needed it?

He received a swift kick to his back from Reyna when Hestia looked down and gathered up some sheets of paper. “Very well. I'll leave it all here on my desk. Pick it up on your way out.”

Smiling, Jason nodded. Hestia turned her back to write on the board and Jason buried his face into his hand with a groan. They couldn't keep this up. The coven was going to have to do something about this. They couldn't just let the nephilim loose again, could they? But there was no way the town wouldn't get suspicious eventually. And what about Eros' father? The pastor? There was no wiping away memories this time.

They were in deep shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping this chapter was enjoyable. It was a lot of history, at least the first half. And you get a look into the mind of the nephilim. He's having a hard time adjusting to these new feelings and bodily functions. So, I was actually going to name Neptune Edward in the book version. However, I couldn't after deciding I wanted him to be a pirate. If any of you played Assassin's Creed, you know there's a pirate named Edward. So I renamed him. I do want to keep most of the characters' names to myself for now. I will mention Eros', because I find it humorous. I let a friend name him, and she named him Gabriel. Like the archangel. And the boy, or his body rather, ends up being used by something people call angels.
> 
> Also, I created a character that I love so much, but he will only appear in book 6 of this series as books. And this fic only covers through book 3, so I will never get to write him for like 3 years probably. He is the sass master. But I do have all the characters named now. At least first names. Still got to come up with a lot of surnames, though. The families will be the worst, because I need like good old European names for most of them. Especially Jason, Percy, and Nico's families.
> 
> And I know that the one part they talked about with marriage and how the hierarchy worked in Europe back in the day is racist for how they worked. Just don't hate any of the present characters, because they don't follow those laws. But I just couldn't see them not working like this like 500 years ago. I just couldn't see witches and warlocks like that now. The genocide of their kind brought them together. There really isn't any racism among witches and warlocks in the present time. I mean, there are probably some bigots out there. You can't escape like that, even in a supernatural community. It really won't be touched more in the fic, but it will come up again in the books. Which means the later books. 
> 
> Anyways, I shouldn't make this super long. I just hope you all enjoyed the chapter and finding out some about their history. Next chapter has some skips in it. Scenes will jump several days at a time. I just want to move on to Christmas/Winter Break by chapter 23. Because that will be fun, if you remember who is coming into town for a visit.


	22. Sacrifices Must Be Paid In Blood

After a week, Jason thought he was becoming very proficient with lying. That probably was not a good thing. At least the teachers bought it. His responses about Eros had started off so vague, and now he was having to give good excuses. The real question for him came when he found out that, whenever they would call Eros' home, Eros' mother would just tell the school that Jason would be picking up all of Eros' assignments until Eros was able to return to school.

That would be more believable if Jason had not seen the woman die.

But here he was, answering another teacher's question about the missing boy. “I think he has bronchitis,” the blond told Eros' Trigonometry teacher as he handed over the day's assignments. “Or was it mono? Either way, I don't think he'll be back very soon.”

Jason made sure to hold that smile in place until the teacher was convinced and walked off. Once he did, however, Jason let his back hit the nearest locker with a groan. He could not keep doing this. Furthermore, what the hell was the coven doing? They were obviously behind the cover up, but how? The last time the blond had checked, no hysterical middle-aged men had been brought in the house to stay. Not that the coven would bring Eros' father there, not when the nephilim wanted him dead.

“Jason?”

The blond looked up to find Nico standing in front of him. The boy had his eyebrow raised and several books in his arms. Upon seeing him, Jason smiled. “Hey,” the blond whispered. “What's up?”

Nico just pointed at Jason's shoulder. “You're blocking my locker.”

“Oh.”

Quickly moving to allow Nico access to his locker, Jason rubbed his neck and said, “I can't keep lying like this.” Nico chose not to answer as Jason flipped through some of the papers he had just been given. “Where is Eros' father anyways? Why hasn't he come forward? And the pastor?”

“The pastor is in a coma,” Nico quickly explained. He shut his locker and turned to face the blond, who now looked pale and sick. “Relax. It's only temporary, at least until we can alter memories again. Which means that we will, I suppose, have to work out an agreement with the nephilim.” The boy shook his head and put some newly acquired books in his backpack. “Just what that thing wants. But Eros' father is fine. He's in his house.”

Wasn't that dangerous? “What if he tries to-”

“He can't do anything.” Nico put a hand on Jason's shoulder to calm him down. It did help to send a wave of warmth through Jason's body, causing the blond to smile like a dork. “He's sealed inside. If anyone goes in, they'll see an empty house. Not that anyone would break into a home in this town, I'm just saying worst case scenario.” Then, unfortunately, Nico had to go and make a face. “Just... you know... he might not be that sane afterwards. I know I wouldn't be, trapped inside a pocket dimension of one room of my house. But don't worry, he has food!”

How was that supposed to make it any better? This was so out of hand. He was so ready for winter break. No school. No stress... hopefully. Maybe he could even swing a date with Nico, everything willing. Probably wouldn't be.

“Grace!”

That voice caused Jason to cringe upon hearing it. He had not heard it in weeks. As he turned, Jason spotted Coach Hedge shoving students out of the way to get through the hall. Students probably did not see the man coming, due to his height. The man was shorter than either Nico or Leo, and that was saying something. Even as Hedge reached them, Jason couldn't help but notice that the man barely reached under his arm if he held it up.

“What are you doing?” Hedge grunted when Jason failed to put his arm down in time. He didn't wait for a response. “And what do you think you are doing, quitting the team like that?”

“Um, well...” Honestly, it threw Jason off to even hear the question. He remembered dropping his track and baseball uniforms off a week ago. Everyone on the team had leered at him as he walked through the locker room. He was like a plague, passing through their midst. “I just... Well, I didn't think I would be welcome on the teams.”

That did not seem to be the answer that the coach was looking for. He said, “Screw what your teammates think. Think about those transcripts. I'd add scholarships in, but... well, your family is kind of loaded.”

“Right,” Jason mumbled. Money was not exactly the thing that Jason associated his family with currently. Magic, time, curses, tumbling down a rabbit hole;you know, those normal things. “I just-”

“I don't want to hear excuses, Grace.” The coach bristled and straightened his shoulders. “You were going to be my ace. My best pitcher. Do you know how good of a pitcher you are?”

Nico, who was still standing beside Jason, snorted. “Oh, he is definitely a good pitcher. Jason even showed me once” Red shot through Jason's face. Not that he was the only one. It seemed to hit Nico just what had slipped out of his mouth and the boy's face turned about as red as Jason's.

“See, di Angelo knows,” Hedge replied. Jason fought off a groan. Of course the man didn't catch what had just been said. From behind him, Hedge pulled a uniform out of the bag that was strapped to his shoulder. “Just think it over, will ya? Don't waste your potential, kid.”

Jason stared down at the uniform as the man left. Then, without blinking, he mumbled, “I hate you.”

Covering his mouth, Nico's eyes darted to Jason's face. “I'm so sorry, Jason. It just slipped out. I... I don't usually think about things like that with Percy and Luke.” Slowly exhaling, Nico let his hands drop from his face. “It's just that, even after last week, I'm trying to make us work as friends. But it's hard.” Jason could definitely agree with that. “Would a movie night this weekend make it up to you?”

Okay, that did sound pretty good. Jason gave a nod and Nico smiled back. He sighed as he watched Nico go, at least until Jason saw a football player call Nico a demon, then his mood went right back to sour. They needed a way to break this curse. At least then he would only have to worry about the homophobic names probably.

He just wished that Nico wouldn't fight so hard against this feeling between them. It was a current that was bound to pull them together. That or rip them apart. But it made Jason feel better to be optimistic about it all. The only good thing that Jason was able to take out of Nico's joke, though, was that he still thought of Jason in that way. He was just being stubborn. Like Nico always was.

By the time that he got home, the living room was a mess. He was used to it by now. Sort of. Not the immortal being in his dead friend's body part, no, that Jason would probably never get used to. But he was used to the fact that the nephilim binged TV. Not a particular show, he just binged everything from the time that he got up, until he had to sleep again.

Today the brunet was splayed across the center of the couch with a tub of ice cream on his chest and a circle of the melted chocolate lining his mouth. When he noticed Jason standing there, Eros shot up, not caring that he had just spilled the rest of the ice cream on the couch, and said, “Jason! Tell me, how do humans retrieve things?”

Taking a moment, Jason just slowly picked up some of the trash that was on the table. “What are you talking about?”

“The TV. It has all sorts of deals. I can get a... tummy... tuck. Yes, that was it.” His eyes were lit up like two emeralds in the sun as he bounced on the couch. “No longer will I have to worry about unwanted belly fat.”

Jason just said, “You are already skinny. Can nephilim even get fat when they are in a body?”

It had to ponder this for a second. “I am not sure if I can, but I will be prepared with this.”

Smiling, Jason levitated all the trash that he had gathered and sent it over to the trashcan. He kicked off his shoes and sat down at the edge of the couch. “Normally, when people want to order things, there is a number to call.” His eyes narrowed when the nephilim held his hand out. “No. You don't need it.”

“What about a purse pouch?”

“No.”

“Pet grooming comb?”

“We don't have a pet.”

“Can we get a-”

“No.”

“Spaghetti Maker?”

Jason opened his mouth and then closed it. He arched a brow at the nephilim. “Why do you need that?”

“To make spaghetti, of course.”

“Of course,” Jason mumbled. He was starting to feel more like he was babysitting a small child, rather than a dangerous supernatural being. “Just... you don't need anything from the TV. In fact, you should go outside and not watch TV for a while.”

Sliding a finger across the couch, Eros got some ice cream on his finger and stuck it in his mouth. It made Jason cringe with how little concern the nephilim had for what kind of germs could have made contact with that ice cream. With a content sigh, the nephilim said, “But then how will I know what Kim K. is up to this week?”

“What?” It took Jason a moment, but then... “Oh sweet Jesus, you are not watching that horrid show, are you?”

“How dare you blaspheme her good name!” Eros snapped his fingers, but nothing happened. He grunted and tried again. “Damn. Keep forgetting I can't use magic.” He shooed at Jason, kicking his feet up on the couch and picking up a plate of cookies. “Pretend you are dust now.”

There was a smirk that crossed Jason's lips as he got up, made wind noises, as he backed out of the room. He decided to ignore the evil look that he received from the nephilim. All he had to do was lock his door at night and there was no danger.

A vibration went off in Jason's pocket and he pulled out his phone. Smiling, he accepted the call and said, “Cecil! How have you been?”

“Oh? How have I been?” Came his best friend from back home's voice. “Where have you been for like the past month?” It was rare for Cecil to ever be serious, but it was always funny when he was. Like a mother hen. “Lee thinks your new boy toy turned out to be a serial killer and was running around wearing your skin.”

“Ah, how did you know?” Jason flicked a hand and opened his door. Life was good now that he could control even a fraction of his magic. “His name is Nico, by the way.”

“Yes, I look forward to meeting him.”

Jason froze right before he could fall on his bed. He was screwed. How could he forget that his friends were planning on coming in for winter break? Panic filled every fiber of Jason's being as all sorts of thoughts flashed through his mind. This house was no place for his mortal friends to visit? The freaking fridge opened and closed whenever someone got near it! Demeter had given Gaea a plant that had literally pointed in the direction you were moving, like it was watching you. Was it possible for Jason to stay with Mellie again while they were here?

“Jason? Hello?” Cecil's voice shook Jason from his thoughts.

Putting a hand to his forehead, Jason sat down on the edge of the bed with wide eyes. This was not good at all. “Yeah, I'm here. What did you say?”

“I said that I hope this one isn't like your past relationships.” A car door shut on the other end of the phone before it was cranked. “We don't need you getting your foot stomped on again because you broke another prom queen's heart.”

“I tried to explain things to her,” Jason groaned at the memory. He unconsciously rubbed his foot. “And, no, this isn't like that. I like Nico. A lot.”

“Oh, well then, I'll make sure to save the date for the wedding,” Cecil joked. Funny, Jason thought. If only his friend knew half of what was going on between him and Nico. Then, in a serious tone, Cecil said, “I'll do my best to keep Lee under control whenever your boyfriend is around.”

“We aren't-” Jason let out a sigh and laid back on his bed. “Never mind.” He was tired of correcting everyone as it was. Maybe that little detail would change soon enough. “Right. So, how long are you guys going to be staying for?”

For a few seconds, Cecil just hummed. Then, “Maybe a week? I looked it up, we'll have to fly into New Orleans. Think you could pick us up?” Like he even had to ask. “Maybe show us around the city.”

That made Jason fill a little ill. His encounter with Circe flooded back into his mind. “Um, yeah... if we have time.” This was going to be a nightmare, wasn't it? “I've missed you guys.”

“Oh really?” Cecil laughed. “Maybe you should call more. Or, at the very least, text.” There was another laugh from Cecil as the boy continued his drive. Looking at the clock, Jason had to guess that Cecil was going to meet Lee for dinner. The three of them usually got something to eat together on Tuesdays. “What have you been up to anyways?”

Where could he even start? There was no way that Jason could even explain half of what had been going on in his life. “Just busy with the new family and... stuff.” Something broke downstairs, causing Jason to sit up. What had Eros broke now? “Hey, I've got to go. Um, I'll text you more in a bit.”

The noise turned out to be a broken table and vase. Eros' excuse was, “I tried to back-flip off the couch like on the show.” The show was a cartoon.

\--------------------------------------

On Thursday morning, Jason decided to bring the subject of his friends' visit up with Kronos. The older warlock moved around the kitchen, hand hovering in the air and causing pots and pans to float around the kitchen. The stove turned on and four eggs flew out of the fridge. The coffee pot in front of Jason began to fill with steaming hot coffee. A normal day.

Which was what Jason was afraid of.

“So,” the blond decided to begin, “um, two of my friends from back in California were wanting to visit over winter break, if that is okay with you and Gaea.” Jason slowly poured himself a cup of coffee as Kronos continued to magically create dinner, as if this news didn't bother him at all. “They'd probably be here about a week.”

“That is fine,” Kronos informed him as he began to grill some bacon.

Maybe all of this wasn't sinking in. “That means mortals...in the house.” Kronos just turned around and blinked at Jason's words. “The magic house.” Jason added a slow nod, hoping that his grandfather would catch on. He didn't. “So, like, maybe I should go stay with Mellie while they are here?”

Kronos just arched his brow at Jason and floated a cup of coffee for himself over to the stove. “Wouldn't that seem a little ridiculous, you staying with Mellie when you have a family here?” The warlock just shook his head as he made some cream appear in his hand. “Really, Jason, I don't understand what the big deal is.”

Burying his face in his hands, Jason let out a groan. Okay, he could make his grandfather understand this. He just took a deep breath and adjusted his glasses. “I don't think you are following my concern here.” He motioned to Kronos, who looked down at himself and just shrugged. So Jason just motioned harder. “This. You. You just made cream appear instead of going to get it from the fridge. You magically make breakfast every morning.”

“You need breakfast before school. Do you take me for a negligent guardian?”

This was hopeless. Jason just let his head hit the counter, ignoring the crack from his glasses for the time being. “You have been isolated from the outside world for too long,” the blond groaned. He just sat up and took off his glasses. Rotating a finger counterclockwise, Jason watched as the crack on the left lens slowly receded and the broken bridge of his glasses repaired itself. Due to all of his magic training, one time spell that Kronos felt Jason needed to know was how to reset time on small portions of space. There was probably a spell just to fix broken objects, but Jason liked using his time magic better.

Clapping his hands together, Jason reassured himself. He could do this. “Okay. Do you really think you can refrain from using magic in the presence of my friends for a whole week?” His hand flew to the ceiling. “And Gaea. She makes drinks appear at whim. I can't have my friends seeing this.” Kronos arched a brow at him. Jason just grunted a pointed at the fridge. “And control that thing.”

For that, the fridge door swung open and an egg hit Jason in the forehead.

As Jason cleaned himself up, Kronos just chuckled and pulled out two plates from the cabinet. He placed all the food on the plates and said, “I think I can manage.” He sat down next to Jason at the counter. “Besides, it'll be good practice.”

“For what?”

“For when I have to meet your teachers, of course.”

The fork nearly fell out of Jason's hand. This day could not get any worse, and it had literally just started. But, of course, Jason was wrong. As usual.

“Good morning!”

Jason cringed at the voice as the nephilim entered the kitchen and stole a piece of bacon from Jason's plate. How could he forget the biggest problem of them all? This was a nightmare. He was going to have to tell his friends that they couldn't come. There was no way Jason could pull off keeping the truth from them in these conditions.

“And there's that,” Jason mumbled.

Eros just blinked at them as he poured himself a cup of coffee. He raised the mug to his lips and hissed. The mug fell out of his hands. Kronos, luckily, was fast enough and froze it right above the floor. Eros wave his hands at his tongues, muttering in some language that Jason wasn't familiar with.

Jason leaned in towards Kronos. “Do you understand that?”

Over his mug of coffee, Kronos arched a brow as he kept his eyes on the nephilim. “Well, he is cursing the coffee and the tree it came from. Something about smiting the land it came from so that nothing can grow there for a hundred lifetimes.” He turned and smiled at Jason. “I don't know what you're so worried about.”

“I just need a normal house... just for a week. No magic. No...” Jason motioned to Eros. “No nephilim. Because he doesn't have that great of people skills right now.” The nephilim was about to argue, but Jason held up a finger and the nephilim pouted. “We have enough to worry about right now, I don't think we need my friends learning about magic.”

“Fine,” Kronos replied as he wolfed down the rest of his eggs. After swallowing them and drinking the rest of his coffee, Kronos leaned back in his seat. “Although, I don't think you've thought this through all the way.”

“Oh?”

Taking Jason's plate, Kronos deposited both in the sink before refilling his coffee. Before he took a sip, the warlock said, “Has it even hit you that the curse has full hold of you now?”

How was that even a question. “Of course,” Jason replied.

“Then you would know that your friends are not exempt from it.” Kronos just gave Jason a look as he moved to leave the kitchen. “I'm still not sure what kept the curse at bay for so long with you, but I can assure you that you will have no such protection now. Your friends may not be all that influenced by it, like some aren't here, but I just want you to be prepared.” He left, but then stuck his head back inside. “And if you don't want the nephilim staying here during their visit, I leave it up to you to find one of the other families to watch him during that time.”

How hard could that be?

\-----------------------------------------------

Harder than Jason thought.

“Please?”

“Uh, no,” Percy chuckled as they walked through the halls. As if he knew it was coming, Percy jumped over a leg that was meant to trip him. Jason, still getting used to this kind of hate, stumbled a few times. “Sorry, not sure my dad would be okay with having...” Percy's eyes darted to the students around them. “Let's call it a dog. My dad wouldn't want a dog in the house. Sorry, no can do.”

Jason groaned as they stopped by Percy's locker and the green-eyed youth dropped some books off from his worn and torn backpack. “I don't know what to do,” the blond sighed as he leaned against a locker. “I can't have it in the house when Lee and Cecil come visit.”

Humming in response, Percy nodded. Then dropped yet another bomb—because he hadn't gotten enough already—on Jason. “Have you told Nico that your ex is coming in to visit for a week?” A grin spread across Percy's lips as Jason paled and buried his face in his hands. “I'll take that as a no.” Pulling out a binder, Percy shut his locker and pat Jason on the shoulder. “You might want to. You're not dating him now, and you definitely won't be if you don't tell him your ex is coming in.”

“Okay, to be fair,” Jason started as they began to walk, “nothing really happened with me and Lee. Or any of my exes. Nico knows that.” He let out a grunt and ignored some sneers they got. “I mean, he does keep reminding me that we are bound because of this curse, so I don't see why he would get mad.”

“Oh.” Percy spun and walked slowly towards his class, grinning wildly. “You see, I wasn't really worried about Nico in this situation.” Jason tilted his head to the side. Percy arched his brow and said, “I'd be more worried about Lee, trust me.” With that, the warlock disappeared into his next class.

After lunch, Jason got a moment to talk with Luke. The slightly taller blond hadn't said much the past few days. Not since they caught the nephilim, really. And Luke had yet to step foot back in Jason's house. In fact, Luke didn't even seem to notice Jason as the other warlock appeared beside him in the hall.

“Hey,” Jason said softly, but Luke still jumped. “Sorry. Um, are you okay? You haven't been yourself lately.” His eyes softened when Luke didn't say anything. “I know this has to be hard for you, but Eros said-”

“Don't call it that,” Luke hissed. There was venom in the blond's eyes as they met with Jason's. Taking in a deep breath, Jason nodded. “It's not Eros.” He couldn't say it out loud, but Jason knew what Luke wanted to add.

Eros was dead.

Those words were burned into Jason's mind as well. Jason cleared his throat and did his best to keep pace with the other warlock. “Sorry. Um...” He trailed off as they reached Jason's next class. Jason put a hand to Luke's shoulder to get the other warlock to wait. “Hey, if you need to talk...”

“I'll be fine,” Luke whispered.

It wasn't very convincing. “Still, if you need someone...” Luke relaxed at that and adjusted his backpack. Jason continued. “You should talk to it.” He had to hold up a hand before Luke could argue. “Just try. You'll be surprised. It's... not itself.” The understatement of the year. “It's like merged with his memories.” Jason sighed and caught Luke's shoulder when the other blond tried to walk off. “Please. I think you really need to hear what it has to say.”

For a moment, Jason was sure that Luke was going to say no. He looked angry, almost like he wanted to punch Jason right in the jaw. But he didn't. A hand came up to rub at his neck as Luke said, “Maybe. I just can't call that thing...” His hand clenched into a fist and he rested it against his lips. “I'll try. No promises.”

That would just have to do, Jason thought to himself as he watched his friend disappear into the crowd of students. Why did it seem like he couldn't get a break? Ever since Jason had found out about magic, his life had been nothing but hectic. Even more so after finding out that he was a warlock himself. If he ever got to go back in time, Jason wanted to ask his parents why they thought that keeping all this from him was for the best. Because, from where he was standing, Jason felt so unprepared for the world that he was now in.

\-------------------------------------

On Friday came the movie night that Nico and Jason had been planning. Unfortunately, they were not alone like Jason had been expecting. But maybe that was how Nico had planned it. As they were at Nico's house, Jason figured that Bianca and Hazel would be around, but he was a little surprised when he found Percy's car outside the house.

Pushing down his disappointment, Jason pushed a bag that contained Nico's present into the floorboard and got out of the car. As he was walking towards the house, the door swung open and out came Medea, storming down the steps and bumping into Jason's shoulder. “Get out of my way,” she growled as she moved towards her car.

Nico was in the doorway when Jason turned back around, the boy's arms crossed and a dark look in his eyes. Jason just moved up the steps and pulled Nico into a hug, both of them keeping an eye on Medea's car as it left the driveway. 

Pulling back, Jason asked, “What's up with her?”

“She's just in a mood,” Nico muttered before letting out a sigh and relaxing his shoulders. “I asked about the night you saw her in the cemetery.” Before Jason could say anything, Nico added, “I didn't mention you. All I said was that I had noticed my amulet had been missing. She was a little frustrated that I waited until now to bring it up, got even more mad and threw in that she didn't like what I was insinuating.”

Taking a final look out towards the driveway, Jason rubbed his jaw. “Do you think she might have anything to do with Circe?”

“Well, obviously, I hope that she isn't.” There was something unreadable—which was odd considering how connected they had been lately—in Nico's eyes as he stared out at the night sky. There was something old about Nico. Perhaps Tartarus' soul. Then, as if he had been fine the whole time, Nico smiled and said, “Sorry, I hope you don't mind Percy joining us. We just got back from Tennessee.”

Wait, what? “You were in Tennessee? But it's only been a few hours since they let us out for winter break!” Honestly, Jason was relieved. Exams had kind of been rough. Sort of. He knew the material, but his magic lessons had consumed so much of his time that Jason had barely gotten to study. Luckily, Aimes High School was covering a lot of things that he had already studied last year back in California. “What were you doing there anyway?”

Nico just smiled and entered the house. “Not telling.”

“We were getting your present,” Percy mumbled, coming out of the kitchen with two large bowls of popcorn in his arms. He dodged a swing from Nico and darted up the stairs.

“Yeah.” Nico pouted as he rubbed his arm. “It was supposed to be a surprise. I mean, we don't really celebrate Christmas, but I wanted the holiday to feel a little normal for you.” A finger touched his lips as he turned towards the living room. Persephone was quietly moving a tree around—a real tree actually—but couldn't seem to find a place she liked for it. “We celebrate the winter solstice. Similar in ways, but different. You'll find that Christians borrowed a lot of our holidays.”

“Noted,” Jason grinned, hands in his pockets and bouncing on his heels. He couldn't help it. Every time that he looked at Nico, Jason had to smile. Also, Nico looked cute in his little skull sweater.

Aimes itself was not that cold. Really, Jason could go without a jacket. He had to wear jeans, but it really didn't get cold. Most nights. There had been one night last week that had been very windy. It felt like Jason had dunked his head in ice water. Nico had seemed fine, saying that it was just the other side to a humid climate. However, around the coven houses, it was like a real winter. It didn't snow every single day, but the families had started manipulating the weather early last week. So, whenever they were walking around the woods or something, Jason always had to remember to bring a coat.

Nico? No. That boy could probably go outside in shorts and not feel a thing. It did worry Jason a lot, since he knew why it was. Maybe it was a good thing that Percy was there tonight. They needed to talk.

“So,” Jason said, “no presents then?”

Chuckling Nico shook his head as he slowly to the steps upstairs. “I'm afraid not. But, really, do you need them? Witches and warlocks don't celebrate it—even today—in the same way, because we get what we want. And we kind of have money, so there isn't a whole lot to ask for.” He smiled at Jason's pout. “Which is why I got you something, because I knew you'd be a little down.”

Jason smiled again. Nico was so thoughtful. And cute. And smelled nice. And he needed to focus. Shaking his head, Jason cleared his throat and followed Nico up the stairs. “So, um, there was actually something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Oh?”

He had to wonder just how well this was going to go over. Jason wasn't, technically, dating either of them. And he had no interest in Lee in that way, but it would be nice if Nico could be friends with the guy. “Two of my friends are going to be coming in to visit after Christmas. Well, for New Years Eve.” He poked his two index fingers together, hoping that he looked as innocent as possible. “Firstly, I just wanted you to know that they'll be here. And, yes, one of them is my ex. But we are just friends now!” Nico arched a brow at Jason's slightly raised voice. “And, also, I was wondering if the nephilim could stay here while they are in town.”

Starting off as a slow chuckle, Nico began to laugh. “That's funny.” They reached the top of the steps and Nico put an arm on Jason's shoulder. “Not a chance. It can't stay here. Too many spirits. It does control death magic, as you saw when I tried to fight it. We wouldn't be able to hold it.” Damn. “Sorry.” Nico popped his lips as the two made their way towards the theater room. “So, like, do you still like this fri-”

“No,” Jason quickly added, surprising Nico with how fast it came out. “I mean, not anymore. Not to begin with really. I couldn't...” He motioned between the two of them. “Well, you know how hard it is to fall for someone that isn't...”

“I know what you mean,” Nico whispered. A small smile touched at his lips as they continued on their way. “Okay. I mean, as long as this ex is sleeping in a separate room.”

“Of course,” Jason chuckled. He put an arm between Nico and the door, so that they could talk a little longer. “Is that jealousy I'm sensing?”

Rolling his eyes, Nico shoved Jason's arm out of the. “Please. Don't flatter yourself. As you said, I have nothing to worry about. With another smirk at Jason, the boy opened the door.

The others were already going to town on the popcorn by the time the other two joined them. “Hi, Jason!” Hazel greeted the blond as he and Nico sat down on the couch. Both girls looked over at them as Jason sat a little closer to Nico than was just friendly.

Hazel just smiled and gave Jason a little wink, while Bianca pursed her lips and watched them very closely as Percy set the movie up. Jason just smiled innocently back, sliding his arm around Nico's shoulders as discreetly as possible. He was no ninja, though. The shorter boy turned his head to stare at Jason, arching a brow as if to say: you are about as smooth as gravel.

There was a point in the movie that Nico actually leaned in towards Jason and their shoulders brushed. Everything was good in the world in that moment. The sky was bright—even though it was night—and Jason's life was perfect. It didn't matter that Jason could no longer focus on the movie, things were great.

For about ten minutes.

Jason jumped a little in his seat when a cold hand reached over and took his. He wanted to be happy that Nico was holding his hand, but things were never good when Nico was cold like this. The desire to be close to Jason made more sense now. But he didn't remove his hand. Instead, Jason held Nico's hand tighter. They were sitting right next to each other, and Nico still had to resort to physically touching Jason to keep a good tether. Not that Jason wanted to complain, he just worried.

Halfway through the movie, Hazel tossed a piece of popcorn at Percy's head. “This movie you picked out sucks.”

Percy, who sat in the floor, leaned his head back onto the couch and said, “It's not meant to be good. It's one of those movies that's terrible, but you just have to watch it.”

“I've been on my phone more than watching the movie,” Bianca admitted.

Percy turned to Nico for support. “You were paying attention, right?”

Still leaning against Jason, Nico reached over and grabbed a fistful of popcorn and shoved it in his mouth, mumbling incoherently so that he wouldn't have to give an answer. Percy let out a sigh. Jason smiled and reached over Nico to grab the bowl of popcorn and pull it into his lap.

Hazel dramatically slid down on the couch and planted her face into the cushions. “I'm losing brain cells watching this,” she mumbled. Bianca offered Hazel some popcorn and the girl shoved some into her mouth with a frustrated look in her eyes. She looked a little like her mother when she did that.

The blessing of the night came in the form of the end credits. Hazel and Bianca actually stood up and cheered. “It wasn't that bad!” Percy added in defense. Neither girl seemed convinced, and they had watched the evidence.

While Percy helped the girls clean up, Nico and Jason made their way to the door. They passed by the door to the basement on the way and Jason found himself stopping in front of it. Nobody had taken him down there yet, not even Hades during their lessons. Honestly, Jason wasn't sure what exactly was down there. Nico never even looked at it, at least not that Jason had ever noticed in the times that he had been over here.

“What's down there anyways?” Jason decided to ask.

Turning, Nico's body locked up when he noticed what Jason was indicating. “No.” Was that all he was going to get? Jason gave Nico a curious look and the boy shook his head. “You don't want to go down there. Bunch of spirits. Bad ones.” The boy's brow furrowed as he trailed his fingers along the door before coming to stand between Jason and it. “They're hard to control sometimes. Tartarus did a lot of magical experiments in his day, including splitting his soul. But he also tore open a rift between the planes. It's dangerous for even necromancers to go down.”

“So you just keep it locked?”

“For the most part.” It just seemed like a normal door. And Jason had never heard anything coming from the basement before. Nico took Jason's jaw in his hand and focused the blond's attention away from the door. “My father and I are the only ones that set foot down there. We keep some artifacts that Tartarus crafted in his darker days locked away down there for safe keeping. Well, to keep others from getting them.”

It was cute when Nico worried about him. “Couldn't I take a peak?” Jason asked. Nico didn't budge. “Just a quick one?”

Nope. Jason could tell from the look in Nico's eyes what the answer would be before words even came out. “You'll just see stairs. And I'd rather not risking any of those spirits getting up here and bothering the nice ones we keep up here.” As if on cue, a old lady in a nightcap walked past holding a candle. Nico nodded at her as she walked through a wall. “You don't need to see anything that's down there.”

Disappointing, but Jason understood. He nodded with a smile. Adjusting his glasses, Jason followed Nico the rest of the way out. The door opened and the two looked at each other for a long time. Was it okay to kiss Nico goodbye? Really, the lines between what they were always seemed blurred these days.

The two shot apart when Percy walked right between them on his way out the door. The green-eyed warlock turned around and chuckled at the two, now both sporting red cheeks, and unlocked his car. Nico flipped the boy off, folding his arms and returning his attention to Jason.

“So,” Jason decided to begin, “about back there with the hand holding...”

Gently easing his shoulder against the frame, Nico arched a brow. “What, you didn't like holding my hand?” He smirked, but Jason caught the uneasy look in the boy's eyes. “Don't worry about it. I was just cold.”

“You weren't just cold.”

“It's nothing.”

Jason sighed and turned to look at Percy, who was not so subtly trying to text on his phone beside his car. Nosy. “I just wish you would let me help,” Jason continued, voice slightly lowered. “I know it's painful, but we have a way that-”

“No.” Nico's voice was firm, his answer definitive. “You don't know.” His eyes dwelled on Percy, who was trying not to look at them. “It's a lot more painful for either of us. They have to remove the blood we gave to each other, which always lingers in your body. They have to rip it out magically, so that a bond between me and you could be established. It hurts. A lot. Excruciatingly so.” His lips fell into a thin line, crossing his arms before continuing. “I don't want to put Percy through that. He's a good friend, done a lot for me. I can't ask him to do that for my sake.”

It didn't feel good enough. Not right now. “You're getting worse, or so it seems. Even with me right beside you, you were still slipping.” Jason reached out for Nico, but had to draw his hand away. Even before making contact, Jason was repelled by the cold that radiated from Nico's body. He shook his head, locking his jaw. “How do you know you'll be able to pull yourself back next time? What if being around me isn't enough to pull you back? Let me help you.”

“I said no,” Nico hissed. Twisting his hand into a fist, Nico caused the boards on the porch to shift and move Jason towards the steps. “You should go. I'm done talking about this.” Jason moved forward again, but Nico held him back by two shadow hands that repelled from the roof. “Get out of my sight, Jason, and don't discuss this with me again.”

Stepping back inside, Jason had the door slammed in his face. A growl escaped Jason as he had to restrain himself from letting his fist pound on the door. This was ridiculous, he thought as he turned to walk down the steps. Nico was being ridiculous. This would be a permanent solution. The pain would be temporary, the solution would more than make up for it.

Percy was still standing there, hands on top of his head and a lopsided grin on his face. “Someone's cranky,” he said. Jason just grunted. “You gotta relax, man. It's just the curse.” That had Jason stop and listen. Was it? “You two are going to fight, it's inevitable. My dad said that your dad and Hades fought a lot before he ran off to California. Like really bad shouting at each other. Probably why he didn't tell Hades where he was going or why.” Percy held out his hand and a stress ball appeared in it. “Try this.”

Sighing, Jason nodded and took it. With a few hard squeezes, Jason did feel a little better. Not a lot, though. It just... sucked. He had never really thought about the curse. How was he supposed to know if he actually upset Nico or if it was just the curse causing them to fight? Or did the two go hand-in-hand?

“But our dads were all very close,” Percy continued, taking a seat on the hood of his car. “Hades and Zeus were very good friends. It's how the curse works. Hazel and Medea seem immune to it. Probably something to do with a particular line? Not sure. Might want to ask Annabeth, she's good at knowing how curses work.” He patted the spot next to him and Jason, reluctantly, sat down next to the warlock. “Thalia and Bianca were close, until this past spring. I mean, they fought a lot before, but never quite as bad. But, yeah, they don't really talk much these days.”

“Is that how me and Nico are supposed to end up?” Jason mumbled, dejectedly.

“Probably,” Percy replied. Jason gave him a dark look. “Just being honest. You gotta work on not letting it happen. Or break the curse.” A grin split across Percy's lips. “Yes, Nico tells me a lot of things.” He leaned in and whispered, “All sorts of things. Like your special morning the other day before school. Too bad Kronos had to interrupt, am I right?”

Putting his face in his palm, Jason let out a groan. Percy slung an arm around the blond and looked up at the sky. Jason did the same. “I just want to help him. But he won't let me.” Jason shook his head and looked down at the stress ball when he smelled burning rubber. Smoke rose from his clenched fist and he let the charred ball crumble out of his hand. “Why is he so stubborn?”

“Just the way he is,” Percy replied. Lazily, Percy swooped his hand out and the ash rose from the ground. It began to swirl round and round as Percy moved his index finger in a circle, looking rather bored. “Honestly, I think you're approaching it wrong. It's not him you should ask, it's me.” Jason blinked at the boy in surprise. “Nico cares too much about his friends. We both do. We were raised to look after the others our age. We have to keep them safe at school and stuff.”

That was true. Nico had responsibilities, even if he didn't want to accept them. Just had other people do things for him. And Nico and Percy had been raised together, right? When they first met, Jason had just assumed that Luke was Nico's closest friends, but Nico always seemed to indicate closer ties to Percy. It made Jason wonder if there was more than just upbringing there.

Percy flicked Jason's ear, done playing with the charred remains of the stress ball. He smirked when Jason shot him a dirty look and rubbed his ear. “You zoned out on me, dude,” Percy chuckled. Resting on his palms, Percy leaned back. “You want to be Nico's blood brother. Honestly, you're probably better suited for it.” His smile melted away as he rubbed a hand along his wrist. “Just make sure you're ready. Nico's strong. That's a very important factor for taking this role on. You and I come from powerful bloodlines, but Nico carries the soul of his very powerful grandfather. It. Will. Hurt.”

“I don't care,” Jason whispered. “He needs help. I don't think he can handle this much longer.” From the look in Percy's eyes, Jason could tell that that other warlock knew this as well. “If you'll agree to it, I will endure whatever pain I have to go through to make him even the slightest bit better.”

\------------------------------------

On the twentieth of December, Jason came downstairs that morning to find a surprise in the living room. A rare sighting, the first of its kind. There, on the couch, was a familiar blond sitting and talking with the nephilim. Jason crept slowly downstairs, not wanting to disturb them, and too afraid that he would scare them off. It was like watching two squirrels.

Luke sat with his knee under his chin, while he listened to Eros talk. Every now and then, the blond would either nod or mumble something. It was... odd. There was no more fire in Luke's eyes as he watched the nephilim, only a sadness.

Jason knew what they were talking about, just not what specifically.

Eros finally fell quiet, and Luke just sort of sat there. His eyes unfocused and in thought, trying to take in what he had just been informed. Jason had heard it already. There was no way it was easy for Luke to swallow everything. Hearing that Eros actually did have feelings for him, but it was unlikely that he would have ever acted on them. That Eros was at peace now.

Then those blue eyes fell on the nephilim in an unreadable stare. Luke was trying to absorb the knowledge that the nephilim now held what was left of Eros' memories and parts of his personality. The nephilim said something that made Luke chuckle, and the nephilim flailed his arms. Emotions. They had to be talking about emotions. The nephilim said something else and motioned towards the stairs. Both of them turned and stared at Jason.

Dammit.

As Jason got to the last step, Luke got up to meet him, while the nephilim stayed on the couch. Luke took Jason off to the side, sitting down in the foyer. “I think that helped a lot more than I thought it would,” Luke said, barely above a whisper. He was fiddling with the end of his sleeve, eyebrows knitted. “Thanks for telling me to do that.”

“What all did he tell you?”

“A lot.” Briefly, Luke's eyes drifted over to the couch, but soon fell on the floor. “I don't... He's not really what I expected, really. I guess those parts of Eros are melting together with his own characteristics.” The blond frowned and tugged on his sleeve. “I think that calling him by Eros' name... It's going to be hard. They're not the same, but... I guess maybe we do need something to call him? Just... not right now.”

Nodding slowly, Jason watched Luke from the corner of his eye. “I understand. No one expects you to call him that right away. I don't even have an easy time referring to it by the name either.” Eros was no so discreetly watching, peering over the back of the couch like a cat about to pounce. They both tossed a wave and the nephilim slid down to go back to his shows. “He needs to get out from in front of that TV, it's rotting his mind.”

“Agreed,” Luke chuckled. His smile lingered, but dwindled the slightest amount. “He can stay with me while your friends are in town.” Luke didn't meet Jason's gaze when Jason snapped his head up in surprise. “But just for those few days. He said he would be on his best behavior, which I'm not sure if I want to believe or not.”

“Just don't let him order anything,” Jason quickly said.

“Okay?” Luke tilted his head to the side and his eyes darted from Jason to Eros. The blond shook his head before returning his gaze to Jason. “So, how does it feel to be Nico's least favorite person right now?”

A groan escaped Jason's lips as he leaned forward in his chair. Percy had talked it over a few days ago with Nico, and had gotten the boy to agree to do the ritual. While they had barely said two words to each other, Nico still made it his mission to glare at Jason every single time they entered the same room. Jason just wanted to get it over with.

“Maybe he'll forgive me after it's over,” Jason mumbled.

Chuckling, Luke got to his feet and clapped Jason on the shoulder once the other blond was standing as well. “He's a very stubborn one.” The blond nodded to the door. “Come on, the others are probably already waiting at the cemetery. And, you know, it's really Reyna that you don't want to upset when it comes to Nico. Like a lioness that one is.”

By the time they arrived, there was a small group standing outside the mausoleum. At first, Jason thought they were waiting for them, since Nico was among them. Maybe Nico wanted to say how much he hated that the blond had talked Percy into doing the ritual. That was not the case.

They approached and found that the others were staring at the door to the crypt. On the door's surface, a symbol of an eye surrounded by a crescent moon on either side of it. It was still burning in silver flames. The others seemed very concerned by it, but it didn't mean anything to Jason. There was nothing that he had covered yet in any of his lessons yet that resembled that sort of symbol.

He probably looked stupid, standing there and scratching his head.

“High Coven.”

Jason jumped at the sound of Reyna's voice beside him. The witch arched her brow and the others turned to look in their direction. Okay, but why were they marking the crypt? Was this their way of saying they didn't want Jason to be Nico's blood brother?

Slowly, Nico uncrossed his arms and wiped a hand over the surface of the door. The mark vanished, but the grim looks on everyone's faces didn't. There were no words as Nico opened the crypt and the others followed him down, except for Luke. The two blonds stayed where they were.

“I don't understand,” Jason admitted, turning to Luke for some help.

The other blond had the same grim look on his face as the others. “They're letting us know that they'll be watching. It's a warning. If we keep causing trouble for them, they'll send an inquisitor to look into matters.” Oh. Now Jason understood all the looks. “I doubt they know anything. They probably don't even know we have a nephilim locked up. At most, they would just know that some big things have been happening around here lately. Probably demanded a report from Marie.”

“What about Gaea?”

Luke snorted and began the descent into the crypt. “Please. Gaea doesn't report to the High Coven. Hyperion only keeps things functioning while Gaea is here. Which, you know, is most of the time, but he doesn't have direct authority over here. The High Coven can vote against a decision Gaea makes, of course, but she tends to ignore them.” The blond smirked, which Jason barely caught in the darkness. “I wouldn't worry too much. We just need to keep our heads down for the time being.”

That did not sound all that easy. It wouldn't be their fault. Probably the nephilim. Possibly Circe. One or the other. And they still couldn't manipulate the minds of the mortals in Aimes. Which Jason didn't really agree with in the first place, but he was starting to feel stressed with the degree of exposure they were under.

“So, is Marie going to tell them anything?” Jason asked as they entered the inner sanctuary.

“No,” Reyna answered instead. The others were already setting up. 

Three circles were being drawn and candles lit. Runes surrounded all three circles. Nico and Percy were drawing out lines between two of the circles. Kronos, who was the only adult present—and Jason used that term loosely—handed Jason a piece of chalk. “Here,” the immortal warlock said. He pointed between the only remaining circle and Nico's circle. “Draw a line between you and Nico. Then Nico will draw one from his to yours when he is done over there.”

A nod from Jason was the only response he gave before getting to work. A shiver managed to escape him when Jason saw Reyna holding a knife. Seriously, why did everything have to involve blood? Was it like a requirement?

Kronos, hovering over Jason, said, “Blood magic is old. It's powerful.” Maybe Jason was a little too transparent with the way he was eyeing the knife. “And rituals like this often require a payment. Blood is a good, simple payment. You keep making more.” He sat down next to Jason with a sigh. “Has anyone explained this to you? Do you even have the faintest idea what you asked for?”

“Yes,” Jason said softly. His eyes lingered on Nico, who kept pushing some hair out of his face. Jason sighed and got back to work. “I know about removing the blood from each of them. I know the risk I'm putting myself in by bonding with Nico.”

Jason was not sure if he had ever seen his grandfather as concerned as he was in that exact moment. “Your blood will feel like it is on fire. You will feel a portion of Nico's life force enter you.” Most of that Jason already knew. “His aura will feel like it is suffocating you with the power you will feel being exerted. If you do not fight back, you will die. If you resist too much, you could kill either Nico or the both of you. It's about balance. A bond.”

Looking up, Jason found Nico's dark gaze upon him. He was already drawing another line towards Jason's circle, while Percy had gotten up and removed his shirt. Reyna was working on dabbing something gray across his body.

When his eyes returned to Nico, Jason's brow furrowed. “I'm willing to take the risk.” He wasn't sure if he was still talking to Kronos or if that was meant for Nico. “What else do I need to do?”

Without saying anything to acknowledge that they were having a stare off, Nico got to his feet and walked a few feet away. Jason would be lying if he said he didn't watch the boy remove his shirt. But Reyna or Luke didn't do the same thing to Percy. Instead, Nico got the bowl and began to mix whatever was in it with his finger.

Kronos gave Jason a brief look, smiling, and then getting to his feet. He gave Jason a pat on the shoulder and walked to sit on one of the chairs. He was mainly just there to perform the ritual. As Percy was finishing up with the markings, Rachel walked into the room, but remained quiet. Percy smiled and waved at her.

“Remove your shirt.” Nico was standing in front of Jason, eyes dull. He blinked when Jason said nothing. “Remove the shirt. I need to put some markings on you.”

“Oh. Right,” Jason awkwardly replied. Grabbing at his back, Jason yanked the shirt off his body. He smiled and adjusted his glasses as Nico dipped a finger in the bowl. “What is that anyways?”

Nico's cold hand touched just above Jason's bellybutton and it took everything within the blond not to yelp. “Ash. From a dead witch.” His eyes slowly drifted up to Jason's face as he said it, watching for a reaction. The look of disgust was probably what he was expecting, and Nico sure got it. There was a soft chuckle, but Nico kept drawing markings on Jason's body. “A long dead one. We just keep some ash in storage, and it replenishes itself.”

Oh yeah, Jason almost forgot about that. “Why the markings, though?”

“Why all the questions?” Nico retorted with a sigh. “Each mark has some meaning to it. Reyna will mark me in a second.”

“Can I do it?”

There was a small, tiny smirk that touched at the corners of Nico's lips, threatening to spill out. That was a good sign, right? “I would let you, but you probably have no idea what to draw. Guess it's your misfortune for not doing your research. You don't get to touch my body.”

Ouch. Maybe there was a little ice in that. But there was some playfulness, so Jason would take it. It was also very hard to concentrate. They were standing so close, Jason could smell Nico's shampoo. Lavender. The space between them was just so agonizing, especially without shirts. Jason just wanted to raise his hands ever so slightly and place them on Nico's hips. His eyes wandered as he let his fingertips ghost along Nico's arms, delighting in the goosebumps that Nico got.

“Stop that,” Nico said, batting Jason's hands away. “I need to concentrate.” He moved to Jason's back. There was a chill that ran down Jason's spine as the boy drew a line straight down and then created curved arches from that. A few dots were put around the shoulder blades. “You realize we're going to be knocked out for a while, right?”

“How long?”

“Varies.”

The smell of lavender returned to Jason's nose when Nico moved back in front of him and began to draw on the blond's face. He let his thumb dust over Jason's lips so slow it was agonizing. They were so close that Jason could admire the small freckles on Nico's shoulders.

Clearing his throat, both boys jumped and looked to find Luke and Reyna watching them. Percy was over talking to Rachel really quick before the ritual. Luke was just smirking like crazy, Reyna had her eyebrow arched at them. Jason wasn't sure who was getting the judgmental gaze, but he really hoped it wasn't him.

Luke chuckled and took the bowl from Nico, taking the boy over to his circle and helping Nico put the ash on his pale body. Reyna had her arms crossed as she circled around Jason to walk over to Percy and Rachel. Jason decided to follow after her.

Rachel looked up at him from the chair she occupied with a distant look and a smile. “This is right. You shouldn't be worried,” she offered. Probably the best encouragement that Jason had gotten all day. “He won't have to worry so much after this.”

“This whole... seeing the future thing,” Jason motioned to Rachel, “must come in handy.”

“About as handy as seeing any point in time for you,” Rachel replied. She had a sketchbook in hand, lightly touching up a page, but she had it angled away from Jason. “I don't see everything. Comes and goes. Not like I could make money on it by getting asked things at the drop of a hat.” Her brows furrowed. “Hera's not been very good at teaching me. She's sloppy at best, kind of a shell of her former self. Not that she would admit it. I don't think she's had a real vision for years.”

“Did you know any of this crazy stuff?”

Rachel just gave him a look. “Did I know that you and Nico would unleash a nephilim and that his crazy aunt was out to kill us all... again? No.” She went back to drawing. Jason really wanted to know what was being drawn. Like, was it important to him or anyone else? Or was it just a regular drawing? “I knew you were a warlock, yes, but I knew better than to screw with things. You never know what might happen differently if you mess with the natural flow of time.” Her brow furrowed as she looked at her sketch, almost a little sad. Her fingers brushed against the page with a sigh before she closed it. “No matter how much it hurts to not say anything. Some things are unavoidable.”

“Okay,” Percy chuckled, an uneasy look in his eyes. “That's not cryptic at all. Seriously, you can't say things like that when you know the future.” He smiled at Rachel, who smiled back. Percy looked over Jason's shoulder before nudging the blond. “Come on, looks like things are ready.”

Nico was already seated in his circle, so Jason and Percy went to theirs. The other two laid down. Best to follow their lead, Jason figured. He laid down as well on the cold stone floor. Kronos paced in a small circle between them, knife in hand.

Kronos raised his hands up to his shoulder level and caused the fires from the candles to all rise. “Blood has been one, now become two. I call on thee. Rise. Return to that of which you came.”

Nothing happened. At least not at first. And at least not to Jason. The other two did not have the same reaction. Percy and Nico became to scream as loud as they could, writhing on the floor. There was a tug at Jason's heart and he tried to get up, but found his body unable to move beyond turning his head. He had to watch as Nico's torso shot off the ground, his arms and legs like they were bound to the ground. Kronos cut a horizontal line across both Percy and Nico's wrist. Like a piece of thread, blood began to pour out and swirl in the air.

Blood from both of them passed by over the chalk lines that had been drawn before moving to the other's body. The screaming became worse. Then it was quiet within the next moment. Nico's head lolled to the side, eyes closed. Percy's eyes fell shut and his body fell limp. The ash lines on his body were now black.

Kronos came to stand above Jason's head. Their eyes locked and Kronos slid the blade across Jason's wrist. “The blood of these two now rise, across these narrow lines. Come now, I call you here. Come now and to each other bind.” Kronos immediately got out of the circle when he was done speaking.

Fire ignited on the chalk lines between Nico and Jason. There was a burning sensation on Jason's wrist, but he just figured it was the pain of the cut. Then it began to grow and spread. From his wrist, pain shot forth to every corner of his body. He felt the very blood in his body burn like there was a blazing sun inside him. His blood shot out of his wrist and Jason screamed in agony. His blood passed by Nico's and the warlock braced himself as Nico's blood entered his body.

His eyes were swallowed in darkness. There was no more heat, they were no longer in the room. They stood in a dark abyss, just Jason and Nico, facing each other. Whispers filled Jason's ears as icy cold touch of death coursed through his blood. He found himself on his knees as the pain became overwhelming. Darkness etched its way into the corners of Jason's eyes. It was impossible to breathe. Too cold. Like death itself was there to strangle and take Jason away.

And Nico? He just stood there, unmoving. But Jason could feel the mere force that radiated off the boy's body. He had never felt the boy's aura before. Jason had felt Nico's emotions, could tell what the boy was thinking, but he had never felt the power that radiated with his aura. And then it hit Jason.

They were not in the abyss. The abyss was Nico's aura. It threatened to swallow both Jason, Nico, and everything around them whole. It wanted to consume. The blond could feel it crushing down on him, like a bug put under the weight of the Titanic.

Something else was there. Or someone. Several. Many. It was hard to tell. Directly behind Nico was Tartarus, his eyes black and consumed by darkness. Like he had given himself over to it. He was crouched, back slightly hunched, and letting shadows drip between his fingers.

Standing over Tartarus was Erebus, a dark look in his eyes. Tartarus' father had been swallowed whole, but seemed to be struggling. He was reaching out for Tartarus, like he wanted his son to save him, but Tartarus was too consumed with the darkness to do anything.

But beyond them were more. No one that Jason recognized, but there were several. He could sense their magic, yet it was nearly snuffed out by the darkness. Why were they here? It didn't make sense. None of it. What was this showing him? Did it mean anything at all?

As he had been distracted, Jason had failed to notice the dark tendrils sneak their way up his body and wrap themselves around him. He began to struggle, but it was like he was only pulled more easily into the void. And Nico, he just stood there with a sadness in his eyes, as he watched Jason get swallowed up.

Right as his fingers were about to dissolve into the dark, Jason remembered what Kronos had said. He couldn't let it overtake him. Jason's hand shot out and grabbed onto Nico's wrist. It was like watching him snap out of a trance. Nico's eyes focused, and he took a firm grasp of Jason's wrist and pulled.

The darkness receded from Jason and the blond was able to stand once again. He pulled Nico into a hug. The pain faded away, as did the sensation of cold. The darkness, however, it remained. Nico and the others dissolved and Jason found himself staring at the ceiling of the crypt once again.

His head lolled to the side. His fingers were just barely touching Nico's, but the boy was out cold. Kronos and Luke crouched over Jason, giving him curious looks. His hand was shaking on the ground, trembling of its own accord. The ash had turned black on his skin. His body still ached. And one thought just passed through his mind before he passed out.

He felt cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Eros. So much. Like writing the early scene where he keeps asking for things with Jason is just a good summary of his personality. Sort of. Minus the anger. I also really liked the outcome for what I wrote for the ritual. Didn't plan that for how I wanted it to happen, so I just kind of came up with it on the spot. Hope it was good. I was happy with it.
> 
> Also, I kind of feel like naming dropping a few characters every now and then would be good for me, because I often find myself scrambling to fix names in the chapters now. Like I was writing out Luke's name and it took me a sentence or two to realize I wrote him by the name I picked out for him for the book. It's Sebastian, by the way. Sebastriel would be their ship name, created by Carlee. So I might do that, but just keep Percy, Jason, and Nico's names quiet until I get it published and you see them in the book. Because it will be great as well for new readers, because they won't automatically envision a character at the mere mention of a name. You guys have the advantage of putting a name with the role a character is filling from the fic. Save for a few that I will be cutting. Just some that I feel I can work better with if I merge them, or if I felt I didn't need them.
> 
> I had some more stuff that I wanted to say, but I'm going to wait a chapter and see if things change on that front first. I will just say this for now. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I hope you like where things are headed. Please leave a comment/review if you did, let me know what you thought. And I hope(for those of you in the United States) that all of you are staying safe right now with what's happened this past week. Well, I hope all of you are being safe. I am going to head to bed now. I've had a crazy day and am running on very little slip. So please ignore typos. I just wanted this out before I went to bed. There shouldn't be any major ones? Farewell. Until next time.


	23. It Was Tartarus, In Salem, With a... Bone?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For any that read my Children of Loss spinoff, I do apologize with the delay on an update there. I'm just having a hard time writing anything for it. So I'm not sure when I'll update that next. I did say it was a side project and updates would be undetermined. And it's not like it would ever be left unfinished, not really, since the chapters just fill in the gaps between chapter 59 and 60 of the main story. So I do apologize with that.
> 
> I also have a fairly lengthy note at the end of the chapter. And it's probably going to take up all my AO3 characters to use in order to write it, so I want to say all I can before the chapter. But I do want to go ahead and say I'm not angry with what I'm going to say, more like frustrated. That being said, I do hope you all like this chapter. And please tell me what you think after.

There was a light haze that flooded Jason's surroundings as he found himself standing in the middle of Salem. Well, not physically. He looked down at himself and found his body glowing a light blue and he could see straight through himself. Nobody seemed to notice him, which was probably good news. The last thing he remembered was passing out in the crypt. Then he was here.

Now he just needed to figure out how to get back.

Easier said than done probably. He knew how to controlled focused areas with time, but not how to project himself forwards or backwards yet. Maybe things would just sort themselves out? Or maybe Kronos would come yank him back to the present. Either way, Jason felt it best not to linger in the past for too long. The situation with being non-corporeal could always change, and he doubted it would be good for him to go bumping into anyone in the past.

Then again, the Kronos in the past could probably help him get to the future. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad? Kronos would probably kill him in the future for being so careless, but it was better than the alternative of being stranded in the past.

Jason tapped his lips as he watched everything. He spotted Piper's ancestor, Venus, shopping in the market. Neptune came out of an alley, grinning wickedly as he dropped some coins into a pouch on his belt. He dressed differently than most in Salem. His shirt was loose and exposed his upper chest, and the boy chose to go around barefoot. Well, Percy did say the boy grew up a pirate.

Something strange happened then. Neptune bumped straight into Venus. The two apologized and moved on, like they were complete strangers to each other. Neptune even swiped Venus' necklace without her noticing. The boy tucked it away and went into the inn.

How far back had he gone?

Jason had never gone back this far. In all the memories he had witnessed, the earliest was when Kronos had met Tartarus. He thought that it was all being shown to him to connect everything that had been happened at first, then he found out he had time magic. Then again, the points did seem to all center around the events that led them to where the coven was presently. There were some that he still questioned, though. But this?

It was then that something caught Jason's eye. Or rather someone. He spotted Tartarus heading away from the town. Quickly glancing around, Jason followed after the warlock. As they passed a few farmers, Jason noticed some of the strange looks they gave Tartarus. They nodded to each other and started following several paces behind Tartarus.

This wasn't going to end well, was it?

Jason got in front of Tartarus and tried waving in the boy's face. Tartarus just walked straight through him. Letting out a sigh, Jason hung his head in defeat. This was not going to work. He decided to continue following Tartarus without any effort.

Tartarus' destination turned out to be the cemetery. It was rather empty, nobody around. Tartarus let his eyes roam across each of the graves, as if he was searching for something. Then he came to a stop in front of a relatively fresh grave and stared down at it. “Remember this one for later tonight,” he mumbled under his breath.

In his hand, Tartarus had a piece of charcoal. He let it slide across the tombstone and continued through the cemetery. His eyes darted up when he took notice of the older men that were waiting near the entrance to the cemetery. The boy scrunched his lips and began heading in their direction, tying his shoulder-length hair back into a ponytail as he went.

“Is there a problem, sirs?” Tartarus asked.

One of the men, chewing tobacco, squinted his eyes at the boy. “What are you doing around here, boy?” He spat some of his tobacco on the ground. Tartarus made a face at it, as did Jason. “Some say they saw you digging in the graves at night. Any truth to that, lad?”

Before Tartarus could even reply, another added, “Some saying your family are witches. Any truth to that, I wonder?”

Clearing his throat, Tartarus moved around the men. “I assure you that I am not a witch.” Jason had to cringe at that line. He had heard the exact same thing from Nico when they first met. “If you excuse me, my mother was just wanting some herbs that only grow in the cemetery.”

“Yes...” One of the men snatched a pouch on Tartarus' belt. “Your mother the alchemist. Mixing all sorts of weird things up and curing sickness, like it was magic.” The man leered at Tartarus as he opened up the pouch. He pulled out a few plants, some moss, and the charcoal. With a grunt, the man flipped the pouch upside down and a small bone dropped out. Tartarus cringed at the sight of it. “Well now, what do we have here?”

There was no hesitation from either side. As the men tried to grab Tartarus, the warlock dashed out of their reach and bolted towards town. Jason sprinted after the mob as they chased Tartarus. Except Tartarus didn't run back to town. He ran down a road that led just off from the town. He bolted past a barn, nearly running straight into an all too familiar pale boy that emerged with some pieces of lumber in his arms.

Kronos dodged out of the way as Tartarus shot past him, then fell over when the group of men came barreling after the boy. Jason stopped only for a moment, shouting at his grandfather. “Help!” he screamed. Nothing.

Kronos grumbled as he got up, dusting himself off. There was a moment where he scratched his head before the boy decided to go investigate. Jason walked beside him, pleading with his grandfather the whole way. He needed to get back to his time and Kronos was his best shot. But the past version of his grandfather didn't see him at all. Jason swung right at Kronos and his hand passed right through.

Eventually, Kronos found the group in the corner between a shed and a barn. Tartarus was on the ground, cowering with wide eyes. One of the men pulled a sickle down from the wall and stepped forward. “I left Europe to escape your kind, devil. Now you follow us to the new world.” Another step. “Search him for his witch mark.”

Several of the other men moved forward to hold Tartarus down. Kronos crouched down behind a barrel. Was he going to do nothing? Jason tried to grab one of the men, but his hand came up empty. There was nothing he could do, except watch. Jason growled as he kicked at the dirt.

“No!” Tartarus cried out as several of the men held his arms and legs.

The man with the sickle crouched down over the boy and pressed the blade to Tartarus' stomach. “May God have mercy on your soul.”

As the man raised the sickle, Tartarus let out a scream. The boards on the barn wall cracked and some flew off. The ground ruptured. The men that held Tartarus began to sway. Their skin began to grow ashen and wrinkled. Their hair turned gray and fell out. Their eyes sunk in and became hollow. A chill ran through the air as they fell over dead. The man with the sickle tried to let out a scream, but Tartarus flung a hand and a bone from one of the other men flew out and impaled the man straight in the throat.

Jason stood there in shock. So did Kronos. The blond watched as Tartarus curled up and cried. It was strange. Something was different. Less... dark. Tartarus' eyes never went black, did they? Jason played it back over in his head a dozen times before he settled on an answer.

No, they hadn't.

There was no shadows. No darkness. Just magic and necromancy. This was different from later Tartarus or even Nico. This Tartarus felt young, full of life. Jason's brow furrowed as he turned his head to the boy on the ground. What on earth had happened to get this boy to turn into one of the darkest warlocks to ever live? Yes, Tartarus had just killed people, but it was in defense. There was no darkness, though. Jason felt like he was staring at an entirely different warlock.

Tartarus pressed his back to the wall of the barn as he tried to stop himself from crying. Ever so slowly, Kronos got up from behind the barrel, his mouth slightly agape. The movement must have caught Tartarus' attention, because the boy startled.

“It is okay,” Kronos said softly when it looked like Tartarus might bail. Tartarus regarded him warily.

“What's going on over there?” a woman shouted. Jason turned. There was a woman carrying a basket headed directly for them. Run, he thought to himself.

It was clear from Tartarus' eyes that the boy had the same thought. He got to his feet and was about to run, when Kronos grabbed him by the wrist. The woman opened her mouth again and Kronos flicked his wrist.

Tartarus, and even Jason, stood there for a moment and stared at the woman. She was frozen. The wind was no longer blowing around them. A cat was even in the middle of leaping up onto a fence. Kronos just turned his head back to Tartarus and said, “Are you all right?”

“I am... fine.” Tartarus' brow furrowed as he stepped away from Kronos and walked around the woman a few times. He poked her in the face to see if she would move. Jason really wished he was able to control time like Kronos, especially right now. Now would be good. “You are like me?” Tartarus was staring at Kronos again. “You are a warlock?” There was a nod from Kronos. “I do not believe I have seen anyone capable of controlling time before.”

Kronos nodded his head towards the dead men. “And what of you?”

“Necromancer.”

Kronos' eyes snapped open. “I know you now.” He touched a finger to his lips. “Your father is Erebus. Is he not on the committee?”

There was a look of fear that briefly flashed through Tartarus' eyes as he took a step back. “I-I...”

“Whoa,” Kronos chuckled. “It is all right. I would not point out one of my kind.” He smiled warmly and circled the woman's other side, regarding Tartarus. “Your secret is safe.”

There was an urge to groan deep within Jason. Even when they just met, it was clear, at least from Kronos, that there was romantic interest. The way he smiled and stared just reminded him of how he and Nico had met. Jason had a hard time staring at anything else back then.

At least now he understood the connection. This was where the trouble in Salem began. He stared intently at Tartarus as the boy gave a small smile back. Tartarus had nearly exposed magic. The bodies were probably found, and soon the witch hunts would follow.

Letting out a groan, Jason rubbed at his face. “I just want to go back home!” he yelled to no one. And no answer came. Of course not. He was getting frustrated. He slowly clenched his hands into fists as he crouched on the ground. With his eyes tightly shut, he began rubbing his palms over his eyes, letting out a pitiful groan. This was hopeless.

Standing to his feet, Jason opened his eyes. “Oh.”

Time was shooting forward. People passed by in blurs. Leaves fell and regrew. Days turned to night and then back to day. Jason quickly let his hands fall to his sides and time began to flow normally again. Okay then...

Jason stared down at his hands. He knew from a lot of his lessons that witches and warlocks often directed their magic with their hands, but Jason was not exactly sure what he needed to do with them to control the flow of time. Maybe it was an emotion? Controlling small areas was not this complex.

“I have never been cursed before, but I find that I do not like it very much.” That was Kronos. Jason spun around and found Kronos and Tartarus walking through the town. Kronos offered Tartarus an apple. “Any idea where Neptune is?”

It was night time. Torches illuminated Tartarus' face as he smirked and nodded. “I think I have an idea.”

The two made their way to the edge of town. There was a tall square house with three floors to it. All the rooms were illuminated and laughing could be heard from within. Kronos just grunted and raised a hand to knock. Right before his knuckle made contact, the door swung open.

Several women that were barely clad in clothing tossed Neptune out, only clad in pants. Coins scattered across the ground as the boy landed with a groan. Kronos shook his head and Tartarus grinned down at their friend. “Having fun?” Kronos asked.

“Well I would ask if you two are, but you your kind of fun usually involves the bed,” Neptune joked as he pushed himself up from the ground.

Tartarus hovered a hand over the ground and the coins levitated up. Holding his palm out, the coins stacked for him. “Judging by your visit to the brothel, I would say your night was not very different.” He raised a brow as Neptune took his money back. “Doubloons? Aren't worried you'll get turned over for piracy?”

Neptune held one up to his eye. “The ladies like the sense of danger.”

“How do you even get kicked out of a brothel?” Kronos asked.

Neptune just grinned and pocketed his money before slipping on his shirt. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company tonight?”

Kronos just motioned for them to follow.

The three warlocks made their way to the docks. There was a large ship docked there, but was currently empty. Kronos turned to Tartarus. “The ship will be empty for a while. I had Venus slip them something extra into their wine in the tavern.”

Jason followed after them as the boys slipped onto the ships. Why would they care about a boat? Kronos gave the order to split up and they scattered to the corners of the ship. Jason decided to follow his grandfather as the young warlock searched the captain's quarters.

Blue eyes watched as Kronos flipped through the contents on the desk. A bunch of shipping manifests. Cargo mostly. There was a list of names that caught Kronos' eye for a moment before moving on. “I wish you would focus more on teaching me to control time,” Jason sighed as he walked around the small room. “I need to get out of this nightmare.”

No response came. Kronos didn't even look up. The warlock shot a hand out at the cabinets behind him, which all swung open. Kronos turned to peer through each of them. There was a jeweled dagger that made him stop. The warlock shrunk it down and slipped it into his pocket. There were some more letters that Kronos came across. He held them above his head and blew on them. Letters formed on the surface and Kronos quickly scanned them.

“Interesting,” Kronos muttered. He pressed the letters onto blank sheets and the words blazed copies onto them. Kronos put the originals back where they had been and pocketed the copied letters. Neptune poked his head in. “What is it?”

“There is a lot of blood below deck,” Neptune whispered.

Kronos was back to looking through the content of the room. “As expected.” He kept his back to the other warlock as Neptune spun a small globe. “These are witch hunters.”

The globe nearly fell over. “They are what?” Neptune hissed with a narrowed gaze. Kronos ignored him. “Did your mother know this?” A small nod from Kronos. “Yet you let us walk on this ship? We have enough to worry about as it is, after Circe cursed us. Now you throw us into a den of lions.”

“They are out for the night,” came Kronos' easy response.

Shaking his head, Neptune looked back at the door. “You put Tartarus in danger. His family is already suspect. Did you know that his father thinks about leaving?” That got Kronos' attention. Neptune just squared his jaw and crossed his arms. “My father was talking about it. The town calls him disgraced, what with his daughter being discovered a witch. Now everyone wonders if the same could be said about the rest of the family. Yet here we are, putting Tartarus even more at risk. What kind of love is that?”

Kronos held up the letters. “My mother wanted proof.” His brow furrowed as the two heard footsteps. It was Tartarus. The boy entered the cabin and closed the door. “Find anything?”

“No,” Tartarus whispered.

Sighing, Kronos said, “The town is against us all. We know the coven is not blind to that.” He held out his hand, which now had a ring in it. “It bares the mark of the witch hunters. They are here. Circe's curse already has Salem against us. With this, we are even more in danger.”

The other two warlocks stood in silence, grim looks on their faces as they stared down at the ring that Kronos placed in the center of the desk. “We cannot stay here,” was all Tartarus said. Neptune nodded.

Everything dissolved, like ink in water. Jason spun around several times, finding himself in a cold and dark nothingness. He was whole again. But he did not feel safe. Jason was not awake, he was not back in his time. He was nowhere.

“Having fun traveling through time, young warlock?”

A chill coursed through Jason's body at the sound of Circe's voice. He shot around and found nothing. Turning his head, there was still nothing. Then he was shoved to the ground and Circe's foot came to rest on his chest.

“It's been a while,” she sneered. Jason knew he was not back to his body yet. It was actually Circe, no using his mother as a disguise or host. “You don't seem to have the hang of this quite yet.”

Pushing himself up on his elbows, Jason glared up at the witch. “What do you want?”

Lifting her hand, Circe caused Jason to rise to his feet. There was laughter from her as she circled around the blond. He couldn't move. His body was paralyzed. “I am so very...” Circe let her hand glide across the back of Jason's shoulders, “close.” She grinned wickedly as she faced him again and draped her arms around his neck. “Tell me, were you having fun peering into the past?”

“You are sick,” Jason seethed at her. She just smiled in his face. They were too close. She smelled like death, but not too unlike Nico. There was a similarity to the look in their eyes that Jason could see from this close. And the same ears. “You are a sick and horrible person.”

Circe scoffed at that and pushed away from Jason. “That is truly rich, coming from your family.” She raised a brow as she bounced around with excitement. It was disturbing. Why was she so happy? “Need I remind you who murdered me? It wasn't just the village. The coven turned their backs on me. My own father! He let the committee execute me, voted for it to clear his name.” Her hand shot forward and she squeezed Jason's cheeks harshly. “I harmed mortals and our kind alike the night I was taken to the cells, but look what my brother wrought on this earth for years. Do you think your grandfather was blind to him? And his mother just had the High Coven turn their gaze from it happening. Who is really the monster here, Jason?”

That... couldn't be true... could it?

The words shook Jason. And his eyes reflected it. Circe just laughed and released Jason. The warlock collapsed to the ground. This didn't make sense. Why would Kronos do that? Was he so blinded by love? And Gaea? She just let it happen? No, it couldn't be true. Circe had to be lying, trying to mess with his head. There was just no way.

Right?

Head slowly rising, Jason was surprised when Circe grabbed him by the shirt and dragged him to his feet. Her teeth were bared to him as she got in his face. “I want the book,” she growled. What? “Where is it, Jason?”

“I... I don't know what you are talking about.” That much was true. “What book?”

Circe released Jason and waved a hand. Many images filled the empty space around them. His mother and father, both alive and smiling. One had him swinging on a porch with Nico. So many more followed, all of them warm and happy. Then Circe clenched her fist and they all went away.

“If you help me, Jason,” she said, “I can help you in return.” Circe slowly circled Jason, who was still in shock from the images. “Your mother is still alive. I can help save her.” She said this in Jason's ear before moving to the other one. “I'm sure I can arrange for your father to return. I will even lift the curse I cast on the coven and leave you all alone. You can be happy with Nico forever.” She smiled so sweetly as she ran a hand through Jason's hair. “All I need from you is the book my brother kept.”

Book? What book was she talking about? Jason's eyes darted back and forth as he went through everything he had ever seen in his visits to the past. His eyes snapped open and Circe drew back, smiling. She knew that he knew. And he did know.

Tartarus had that book after that dinner with his parents. He had seen Gaea with it briefly in one dream. She was sealing it away, wasn't she? Yet Tartarus had it later? Or was it before? Time was impossible to tell with all these past glimpses. It felt like after, though. He was almost positive. Circe was still watching him, waiting for an answer.

Jason just said, “Even if I knew what book you were talking about, how am I supposed to know where it is?” That was pretty much true. He did know the book. He also had no idea where it had gone sense the last time he had seen it. And why did Circe want it? “But I also don't think I can trust you.”

“Think carefully on this, Jason.” She smiled and dusted off Jason's shirt. “Dig around for it. Then bring it to me. I'll know when you find it. Just think about what I said.” With a final smile, her body vanished and Jason felt himself being pulled away.

Jason's eyes shot open to find the top of his canopy bed. His breathing was weak and there was a pain in his chest. He could barely move. With a groan, Jason rolled his head to the side. Kronos was seated by his bed, reading a book on his leg as it was crossed over the other. Arching a brow, the warlock created a bookmark and shut the book.

“Where-” Jason coughed. It hurt to talk. His mouth felt like cotton, his lips cracked and dry. “What happened?”

Leaning forward, Kronos helped Jason sit up and gave the blond some water. “The ritual happened.” He eyes Jason suspiciously and Jason squirmed. Did he know about what had happened right before Jason had woken up? “You've been out for almost five full days.” He smiled brightly when Jason shot up and groaned at the pain. “It is the twenty-fifth of December. In the morning, if you would like to know.”

“I've... been out for that long?” Jason's eyes were wide as he ran a hand through his hair. It felt oily. His body ached and he did not smell that great. Jason needed a shower. “What about Nico and Percy?” Wincing, Jason reached up to massage his throat.

Lifting a finger, Kronos refilled the water in Jason's glass. The blond eagerly drank it all. “Percy woke up two days after the ritual. He is back to his normal self. He has also been dropping by to check on you.” Kronos took the empty glass from Jason and sat back in his seat. “As for Nico, he woke up last night. Before you ask, he seems much better.” Jason relaxed at that and a smile touched at Kronos' lips. “He stayed a long time last night with you, but his father took him back home, as he had yet to fully recover.” An eyebrow was raised as it studied Jason. “And you?”

How did he feel? For the most part, he felt normal. There was still a cold sensation that lingered in his body. It reminded him of the feel of Nico's skin. But what was bothering Jason the most right now was not due to the ritual. It was Circe. But he could not voice this. At least not yet. Jason wanted to look into what the witch had said first.

Finally, Jason gave a weak smile and said, “I've been better.” He sank down in his bed. “What do you guys do for the holiday anyways?”

There was a laugh from Kronos. “Well, I am afraid you have gone and missed several days of festivities.” He stood from his seat and poked Jason in the forehead when the blond shot up. “Lay back down.” Jason did as he was told. “There will be a feast here tonight. The entire coven will be here. You can see Nico then, as I know you are wanting to.” He opened Jason's door and glanced over his shoulder. “In the meantime, get cleaned up and come down for food.”

Jason's stomach growled at just the mention of the word.

\------------------------------------------

Things were... different when Jason came downstairs later that night. The house had been done over in the few hours since the blond had been downstairs last. For starters, it was snowing from the ceiling, but it was not cold. Although, that did not seem to stop the snow gathering on the floor. There was not so much red and green, but rather white and green. Candles were white with plenty of green leaves around them. Pansies and violets had been gathered up with some honeyworts and put in vases on the tables. He could thank Demeter for being able to distinguish plants by now.

Strung up around the dining room and most of the house was sweet alyssum. Pentagrams had been sewn together with lace and other fabric, floating gently in the middle of the air. The dining table had been taken over for the food, while a giant table had been set up outside for them all to eat at.

Outside was even more stunning. The table was illuminated with candles. There was a waterfall fountain—Jason was not entirely sure when it had gotten there—which was lit up and had white rose petals in it. Whether it was inside or out, Jason could also smell pine.

Then there were the not so nice to look at decorations.

After stepping back inside, Jason had to walk back a few paces to check his eyes. Sure enough, there was a deer skull, horns included, on one of the tables. On top of the skull was some red berries, a pinecone, some pine leaves, and some twigs.

“It died of natural causes.”

Jason did his best to not yelp, but Nico still laughed as the boy let out a squeak and covered his mouth. “Where did you even come from?” the blond asked the smiling warlock that now stood beside him, a glass chalice of wine in his hand.

Nico just continued to smile as Jason decided to move away from the skull. “Nice to see you as well.” He watched Jason over his chalice as he took a drink. Then asked, “How are you feeling?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

“Better,” Nico admitted. “I feel much better. Thank you.” There was a soft smile from Nico as he held out his other hand and another chalice appeared. “Want some?” Nodding, Jason took the wine. “But, really, thank you. I know I was mad before, but I do feel much better now. And you?”

How much was Jason really prepared to divulge? “A little cold? I don't know if that's normal?”

The dark gaze of Nico drifted softly to the stairs, where Percy and Annabeth were quietly talking. “Percy said he sometimes felt a chill. Maybe our blood connection is different because of-”

“The curse.”

A nod from Nico. “Right,” he said softly. “As always.” He chewed on his lip, still watching Annabeth listen to Percy talk. Jason figured he knew what it was about. “I'm hoping that won't be awkward. Before they ever started dating, Percy and Annabeth were very good friends. Still are. Neither of them can just seem to get on the same page. Annabeth focuses on her studies, and Percy... Well, Percy is just Percy.” His head finally drifted back to where Jason stood. “But I do wonder... I couldn't sense you when I was asleep, nor when I woke up.” Those eyes pierced Jason like a knife through butter. “Was everything all right?”

No. Not at all. There was nothing that was “okay” about what Jason was thinking about. But had Circe been telling the truth? He knew his friends and family weren't saints, but to overlook whatever autocracies Tartarus might have committed? Jason didn't want to think about it.

Sipping at his wine gave Jason a moment to think. Not to distract Nico, though. If anything, the long silence only made the other warlock's curiosity grow. That stare became even more intense. “Fine,” Jason finally managed to get out. “I just...” What could he say? “Just some dreams. Well, memories. Visiting that past.”

“Strange,” was all that Nico said for several seconds. His eyes briefly drifted off before snapping back to Jason's face. “Normally I go with you, or have some sense that you went.” There was a look of disappointment that briefly passed through Nico's eyes and the boy's lips tilted down. “Jason, you know you can talk to me about anything.” Jason's eyes followed Nico's chalice as the boy sat it down on the table. “I don't know went on while you were passed out, or what you saw. But I do know when you're lying to me. You're not fine.”

“I-”

Nico held up a hand. “You don't have to tell me. It must be something you feel you need to deal with alone.” Those soft lips formed a thin line. It was so strange, though. Jason could actually tell that Nico meant what he said. “Just don't lie to me about it.”

And he could feel the sting of disappointment from Nico.

“Nico,” Jason began, but fell quiet as Will and Katie passed by them with their plates piled with food. Jason gave a nod to them as they went by. Then his eyes darted back up to Nico, though the other boy was not staring at him, but instead had his arms crossed and was watching the doors that led outside. “Nico. I'm not...” That was going to be a lie, he reprimanded himself. Jason couldn't lie to Nico. Not because he literally couldn't, but because he didn't want to. “I need to ask you about a book.”

“Book?” Nico repeated. When his eyes met with Jason's, the blond could tell that Nico knew exactly which book Jason was referring to. And Jason could tell that Nico did not like him bringing it up. Not one bit. Because he leaned in and hissed, “Why do you want to know about that book?”

“I-” Jason couldn't lie. “Can we talk somewhere quiet?”

The two found the front porch to be a quiet spot. Nico sat down on one of the steps and Jason joined him. There was a thick air of awkwardness that passed between them as Jason drummed his hands on his legs. Nico did not seem amused, but he waited quietly for Jason to start explaining things.

It was agonizing for Jason to get the words out. While he wasn't sure how much he wanted to trust the coven, Jason did feel like he could trust Nico. It was the Circe part that made Jason hesitant to say anything. He also did not know what he wanted to do about the book just yet. Jason wouldn't lie, the offer Circe had made him sounded nice. Better than nice. Almost too perfect.

Probably because it was.

There was no way that Jason would hand over the book to someone like Circe, even if he didn't know why she wanted it or what it could do. Maybe that was the point. But Jason would feel a lot better if he knew the book was somewhere safe. Nico or Hades had to know where it was being kept, if Tartarus was in fact the last to have it.

With a deep breath, Jason decided to let it all out. “I saw the past while I was out, yes, but I also had a dream about Circe. She came to me as I was about to wake up.” Nico's brow furrowed, but he said nothing. “She wants the book. I don't know why, but she does. She promised me a lot, including having both of my parents back.”

“Jason,” Nico softly said, “we don't have the power to bring back the dead. Only a nephilim or god could bring someone back to life, and they aren't known for granting many favors.”

“I know.” Jason hung his head. His body still felt sore and weak, even after eating two meals worth of breakfast and more food at lunch. “It's just what she said. I have seen the book in the glimpses of the past. Gaea had it when the coven was building the houses here, but then Tartarus had it. I don't know...” Jason's gaze caught sight of something in Nico's eyes. Was that fear? Why was Nico afraid. “I don't know why he had it, but it's what I saw. He was upset about something his father said.”

Nico's hand ran gently up his leg, his eyes deep in thought. Snow fell from the sky above them. There were so many voices behind the house. Everyone was probably settling down with their food, but the two of them needed to discuss this. “That's all you saw of it?”

“Yes.”

A nod came from Nico as he continued to rub his leg, not meeting Jason's eyes. “It's a dark tome. Very dark.” He began chewing on his lip to the point where Jason wanted to reach over and stop him. “It was born from the void. Nobody knows where it came from, but it cannot be destroyed. The Shadow Tribunal created it with part of their own essence, we do know that. How it got into our world is the mystery.” The boy's head fell in shame. “Tartarus did have it. For a long, long time. He did... unspeakable things with it. I have nightmares. I have his memories, so too must I bare the weight of his darkest moments. And they are crushing. So very crushing.

“I don't know how he got his hands on the book, though. That is a mystery even to me. I feel... things concerning the time that he got it. There was some confusion in him, but I have not the fainest idea as to why.” Nico's voice grew softer and softer as he spoke, until it got to a point where Jason felt like he might only be talking to himself. “But I cannot help you.”

“I don't want to give it to her,” Jason quickly interjected when it looked like Nico was going to get up.

Smiling, Nico sat back down. “I know.” He sighed and leaned back on his palms. There was a heavy weight that radiated from Nico. “But I cannot help you. Tartarus had the book and it was lost with him.” A sadness filled Nico's eyes as he peered over at Jason. “No one has seen it since my grandfather passed away.”

When Nico rose again, Jason had to reach out and grab his wrist. “Wait,” the blond said gently. The brown-eyed boy raised an eyebrow at him as he sat back down. “I got you something.”

Nico chuckled. “I figured. As I said, I got you something to make things feel a little more normal for you.”

Holding out his hand, a light emanated from Nico's palm. When it vanished, a necklace was left sitting there. Jason slowly reached out and took it. Holding it up in front of his face, the blond looked it over. It was held by a black cord. Dangling from the cord was a golden eagle, two purple amethysts for its eyes. In its talons was a golden ring bordering an hourglass that could be made to spin. Lightning bolts bordered the hourglass on either side. There was even some sand inside.

“Is this... a time turner, like from Harry Potter?” Jason asked.

Nico smacked his own face. “You are a nerd. No. Time doesn't work like in those books.” He let out a sigh. “Time is your family magic, and we try to fit some theme of our magic into our jewelry. Since nobody had gotten you your yet, I figured it would make a nice present.”

“So... why did you have to go to Tennessee for this?”

“Ah.” Nico reached over and pointed at the eyes on the eagle. “We went to Rock City in Chattanooga to get those, and had the hourglass handcrafted there.” He gave the hourglass a flick. “It's pretty sturdy, so don't worry about breaking it.” He leaned back and smiled. “I hope you like it.”

A huge smile split across Jason's face as he put the cord over his head and let the necklace fall over his chest. “I love it. Thank you.” Licking his lips, Jason felt nervous. His cheeks flared up. “Um, I guess you want your present.” Jason took in a breath. “Okay, so I wasn't really sure what to get you. I went out and bought this snow globe, though.”

“You got me a snow globe?”

“Ah, no. I mean, yes.” Jason fumbled with his hands as he turned his body to face Nico. “I just needed it to make your real present. “So I did a lot of studying in my books and found something you might like. I just enchanted the globe with a moment in time. It'll kind of just play the moment over and over again on a loop inside the globe.” Nico smiled as Jason fumbled with his words and started to ramble. “I just hope I got it right.” Holding his hand out, Jason conjured the present. “There was something about locking the memory in place that I'm not quite sure if I got right, but-”

Red spread all across Jason's face as he looked down at the snow globe. This was not the right moment!

Staring back at him was the night that they first kissed. The snow in the globe gave the illusion of the rain that was falling that night. The Nico in the globe grabbed Jason and turned the blond around. Their lips met and the Jason in the memory let go of the umbrella he had been holding on that night. And it played over and over again. Jason covered the globe with his hand, too embarrassed to look at Nico in the eye.

“Uh, it was supposed to be us in New Orleans.”

“Oh?”

His face felt like it was boiling and Jason shot his head up. “No!” That was a little too loud. “Not that night. I mean, it was a really good night, but I wouldn't go putting that in a gift like this.” He frowned down at the globe and tapped a few times, trying to get it back to the memory he had put in it. “Let me- Ah. There.” Jason smiled and offered the globe to Nico, handing it off with a circular swirl of his finger around the glass to seal the memory in place.

Now the globe showed them standing on a steamboat in New Orleans. They leaned on the rail as they talked in the memory. It was seen from the back, with the sun over the horizon in the distance beyond them. Jason and Nico smiled so warmly at each other in the memory. That had been such a nice day. One of Jason's favorite with Nico so far.

“Jason,” Nico breathed as he held the globe in his hand, “thank you.” He smiled up at the blond and stood to his feet. They hugged and Jason took in Nico's smell. He could smell the red wine on the boy as well. It made him feel warm inside and Jason smiled. “You didn't have to get me anything, but I really like this.” Nico pulled back and stared down at the memory again. “I'll put it by my bed.”

“Uh, sorry again, about the slip with the memory.”

Even though he tried to suppress it, Nico's smile still shined through. And it made Jason's heart beat into overdrive. That smile was everything. Everything that Jason wanted to see. “It's fine, Jason.” He looked down at the globe in his hands. “It's nice to know that this was the memory that crossed your mind, though. I half expected our night in New Orleans to be what popped up.” A sweet chuckle escaped from Nico when Jason's entire face turned red.

Before going back into the house, Nico leaned up and kissed Jason on the cheek. Jason was left there on the porch alone, smiling like an idiot as he lightly touched his cheek. Was it sad that he was already falling for Nico so hard, yet they were not even dating yet?

There was such an intense feeling inside Jason as he watched Nico retreat into the house. It scared him to even try to voice it out loud. Yes they had sex, but using a strong word like the blond thought he might be feeling kind of terrified him. He had never used that word with anyone outside his parents or Lupa before. But, at the same time, something felt almost natural about it. Seeing Nico happy with him made Jason feel this. The smile from Nico alone was a good enough present for him.

Running into the house, Jason caught up with Nico and stopped him again. Nico chuckled. “Yes?” he asked.

“Right. One more thing, maybe?” Grinning back at the other boy, Jason held a hand above them. A twig grew out from between his fingers and turned green. Leaves sprouted from it and then red berries. A ribbon wrapped itself around the mistletoe as Jason smiled down at Nico, who blushed.

“Oh.” Nico coughed and pursed his lips. “Let's see, how do I tell you this...” Another purse of his lips. “You see, Jason, I don't think you actually know what mistletoe was actually used for back in the day.” Jason let his hand slowly fall from the air. “It was kind of used by the Druids during sacrifices.”

Jason immediately dropped the mistletoe like it was on fire. “What?” Several of the others looked in their direction. “What do you mean? Then why the kissing thing with it?”

For a second, Nico just chuckled a little at the shock on Jason's face. “Well, you see, it was kind of how they poisoned the sacrifice. Before you freak out, it was an animal sacrifice. But the berries were used as a poison to the animal.” Nico levitated the mistletoe up into his hand. “The kissing part came later, and developed a lot of variations to it. But I always think about what my people did with it whenever I look at the plant.” He chuckled at Jason again. “Sorry.”

As they were walking out of the back of the house, Jason was jarred to a halt. His eyes became unfocused and white and his arms fell to his sides like a rag doll. The rest of the world surged forward around him as Jason's vision was propelled into the past.

Jason still saw the same place, the same yard. It was even the same house. Just older. There was nothing modern about it. The house was all wood and stone, and looked so very old. Just build, but old. Kronos sat under a tree in the back yard, an apple in one hand and a book propped up against his leg and balanced with the other hand.

The shadows stretched out across the ground and Tartarus was suddenly sitting behind the other warlock, who had yet to notice him. Smiling, Tartarus turned and sat on his knees. “Busy with your studies?”

There was no reaction from Kronos as he took a bite of his apple and turned the page. Then he let the book fall a little and turned to face the younger warlock. “I do sense your presence. Makes it a little hard to sneak up on me, do you not agree?” He arched an eyebrow at Tartarus as he went back to reading his book.

A look that reminded Jason of a cat ready to pounce crossed Tartarus' face as he rested his chin on Kronos' shoulder. “I still like to try.” Picking up a blade of grass, he held it between his fingers. A stem rose up and then a tulip bloomed from it. Kronos smiled and took it, placing it int the crevice of his book and shutting it. Tartarus smiled brightly and sat down cross-legged next to his lover. “You should practice your travel magic. It is quite fun.”

Letting his fingers trace the top of the flower, Kronos sighed. “Unlike you, who can jump from shadow to shadow, I literally have to move the Earth itself to transport myself. Bending time and space is a little more difficult.” Leaning in, he placed a quick kiss to Tartarus' nose. The other warlock blinked with crossed eyes as Kronos pulled back. “To what do I owe the pleasure? Your father is usually relentless about your studies, convinced your spells aren't good enough. And he does not seem to like us spending time together.”

“Ah. Interesting that you should mention that.” Tartarus' eyes gleamed as he played with some shadow that he had pulled from the one cast by the tree. “I need your help.”

“Hmm?”

Tartarus leaned in with a glint in his eyes and a smirk on his lips. “You wish for my body to stop being bruised?” he asked. Kronos just frowned, but listened. “I want it to cease. It gets worse and worse by the day.” A finger traced along Kronos' jaw. “Help me end this problem, like you and your mother did with my sister.” The smile from Tartarus fell away and so did his hand. “If you wish to make up for that little disaster.”

Kronos' eyes cut over to Tartarus and regarded him for a moment. Then he said, “Tell me what must be done, and I will see it through.”

There or not, Jason felt a hand on his shoulder. Time turned over on itself and then sprang forward. Jason was standing in the doorway again, his eyes focusing on the other coven members as they sat at the table with their food, laughing and talking. Kronos was standing beside him with a frown marring his features.

“Slipping?”

It took a moment longer for Jason's heart to slow down, but then he nodded. “It happens. I mean, it's only happened like once before.” His eyes lingered on Kronos' face. What had they done? Had they... 

Did they murder Tartarus' father?

Kronos gave a nod and said, “I will have to up your studies. Perhaps give you a tonic to help suppress that.”

“No!” Jason quickly said. He needed to see, needed to learn. “I'll be fine. I promise.”

It did not seem to convince Kronos. He still nodded, though. “Very well. As you wish, Jason.” His eyes briefly narrowed, like he suspected something, then motioned to the backyard. “Better hurry and find you something to eat. We can talk about what you saw later, if you desire.”

“Yes, perhaps.”

Jason scurried down the steps and went over to fix himself a plate, entirely aware of Kronos' eyes on him. That didn't mean he was going to hurry over to a table. One thing he learned about the coven, they usually had good food. Especially Demeter, who had probably cooked over half the food they had there tonight. So Jason damn well took his time until it seemed like his plate might break under the weight.

When the feast was all said and done, Jason managed to put a plate together to take up to Eros. “This is all you brought me?” was the nephilim's response. He was clearly grateful. Clearly...

On his way down to his room, Jason's eyes caught sight of some heavily flickering flames and a raised voice coming from Gaea's study. He had only been in there like five times, and every time he felt like he was trespassing. That also applied here. So, Jason crept down the hall and peered into the room.

In the study was Gaea, standing before a roaring fire. A martini glass in her hand—go figure, right? She picked at the olive, while a man in the fire shouted at her. He was fair short, also pretty round. The man sported a coat that looked like it belonged in Victorian London.

“This is unacceptable!” the man shouted. Each time his voice rose, his heels rose off the ground and the ends of his mustache became frazzled. “This simply will not do. As you are slacking in your duties, I have been here, doing your job! And now you refuse my inquisitors to come inspect the situation over there?” The man did not seem to bother Gaea at all, which only further angered the man. “I will petition the rest of the High Coven to-”

“Hyperion,” Gaea said with a droll, “you are always such a bore.”

“And you do not take your role seriously! If you do not make some changes, then I will be forced to-”

“You'll be forced to what?” Gaea's gaze darkened then after she cut the warlock off. “I do not need inquisitors poking their noses around matters here. My great-grandson is in the process of very important lessons, and I do not need any of the coven members detained for questioning that will distract from those lessons. Understood?”

Hyperion fumed, heels up high off the ground. “You cannot honestly expect me to just sit on this and-”

Gaea shot a hand into the fire, and the image of Hyperion now had a hand around his throat. “That is exactly what I expect you to do, you worthless oaf,” she hissed. “And if you don't do your job, then I will be happy to fulfill your request of paying you all a visit. Only you will not like what I have to say. And, as for you, I will have you thrown out. Titles stripped and expelled, a disgraced warlock. Not even fit to be bedded by a succubus.” There were flames in Gaea's eyes now and her martini glass fell to the floor. “Do not forget who you are talking to, Hyperion. It would do you well to show me some respect.”

As she ripped her hand out, the flames exploded from the fireplace and died. Jason gulped and backed away, hurriedly making his way to his room. He made sure to close the door and lock it behind him. Not that the last part would do him any good in a house with magical relatives. Come to think of it, did anyone in the coven even own a house key? He did know one thing, though.

Jason did not need to piss off his great-grandmother.

\------------------------------------

It was strange to be back in New Orleans, to say the least. Especially alone. While he was gone, Jason had tasked some of his closer friends in the coven to make sure that everyone else knew not to use magic around Jason and his friends during their stay there. A lot of them were not happy about this fact.

Probably for the best, since the town still couldn't have their memories wiped.

Which also meant that they could not wipe the memories of Cecil and Lee, should something go wrong. And Eros had been picked up by Luke, Travis, and Connor. Not that the nephilim had put up much resistance. In fact, it seemed quite pleased with the idea of going with Luke. Jason also gave the fridge a stern talking to that morning after breakfast.

Now all that the blond had to worry about was the possibility of Circe showing up to ruin the last sliver of a normal life for Jason. What could go wrong? Jason was slumped on the floor as he waited for his friends, if that made it clear his levels of optimism.

This week was going to be a disaster, wasn't it?

Jason was not sure how he had any nerves left. He had barely slept last night. For the most part, he had just paced back and forth by his bed. Probably enough to make a dent in the floor. That wasn't due to the coven. He was also nervous that the curse was going to get to his friends. Jason had no idea what had protected him before, but it was no longer working. Which meant that his friends could start to dislike him. And what would happen when they left?

“Jason!”

The blond's head shot up when he heard Cecil's familiar voice. The perky boy was bounding towards him, carrying a grumpy Lee behind him. Lee never was a morning person. “I want to ride in the back, so I can nap,” Lee stated before hugging Jason.

“Sure,” Jason chuckled. He then hugged Cecil, who was basically bouncing. The guy had probably snuck some chocolate during the flight. “How was the flight?”

Stretching his arms over his head, Cecil replied, “Long. Very long. Didn't even have a good movie.” He clapped Jason on the back and directed the three of them to the window. “So this is New Orleans? My dad's never brought me. Looks cool. Not flooded.”

“That was several years ago,” Lee grumbled, stifling a yawn.

After retrieving their luggage, Jason guided them out to his car. They loaded up and everyone piled into the car. Cecil immediately went to work on finding some music on the radio, while Lee's head hit the pillow that he had brought with him.

“Wake me when we get there,” Lee grumbled. He placed his hands under his head and stared up and out of the back window.

Everything seemed fine. Just like Jason had left them. It wasn't even awkward, like Jason had not been away from them for half a year. Maybe the blond was worrying for nothing. Cecil was his usual hyper self, and Lee was... Well, Lee was too tired to tell anything right now. This wasn't so bad. Maybe this week could go by without a-

Lee sat up and leaned forward to peer at Jason. “Did you do something to your hair? You look different.”

Well, maybe not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mentioned in the last chapter that I would be bringing up an issue if things didn't change. They didn't. At least not on AO3, so this is more directed there. Although, it's been kind of bad on FF.net as well. And I don't like talking about this. Because I feel like I'm whining. It's just that my reviews have been extremely low lately. Like really, really low. Last chapter, on AO3, I had one review. Just one. Kind of been going down the past few chapters. Like the views are still there, just not the reviews. So I guess I'm curious if there is a reason? Is it the story is not so good? I mean, I would like to know if I need to spruce it up some. I do plan on going back and cutting content that I felt was just there for filler. And adding new content for some changes I want to make for the book.
> 
> Or maybe school is keeping some of you busy? Or just not feeling up to reviewing? Because, like I said, my view count is still pretty much the same every chapter, save for this very last one. So I'm wondering if it's me or something coming up on you the readers' end. It stings, I won't lie. I just hate saying things like this, but at the same time it kind of stings in a way. Because I don't know what the issue is.
> 
> Or maybe it's just the Jasico thing in general. Because, whether we want to admit it or not, the Jasico fandom hasn't been as active as it used to. But it suited my needs better for the story I am writing. Plus I love Jason and Nico together. So maybe it's that. I just don't want to feel like I'm wasting my time? If that makes sense. I guess what I'm saying is that, if it continues to be like this, I might just stop updating and just focus on writing it all for the book. Like the story would stop where it is on here, and just continue writing as the book format. Because, I'll be honest, it is kind of a hassle to worry about using the PJO character names at this point, and having characters behave to fit the personalities of those PJO characters, when I'll just have to go back and change things like that for the final drafts to send off to publishers. 
> 
> And I hate saying something like that, because I do care about you guys. But, at the same time, I do have a life as well. I make time to write this. I don't get paid to use my time to write it. And it takes me longer to write it than it does to read it. The story is ultimately for myself to publish, but at the same time I am using it as a fic for the enjoyment of you guys. This has been bothering me lately.
> 
> I don't mean to cause any conflict with this, and I don't mean it to be rude. I guess I just get tired of asking every time that it happens? And I think I can speak for a lot of authors by saying it makes us feel a little unappreciated. I hope you guys understand, I really do. Because I really do enjoy reading over your reviews. I'm just starting to question if it's worth it anymore if nobody wants to take time to review, or even to read it. And I really do appreciate those of you that do take the time to review as much as you can. Even if it's a simple review. I don't want to take the story away from you, but if you guys can't take the time to review, I don't see the point in taking the time to post it online anymore. So this will be my last time bringing this issue up. I don't want to whine or keep complaining, or sound like a mother dragging you out of bed to do a chore. I'm just saying that if this continue, the story will just stop being posted altogether. No further warning or anything. It will just stop.
> 
> And I have no more plans for new fics, so if this story stops, then I guess it will be my end. I'm sorry for this and I do hope that it doesn't come to any of what I've said. This has just been on my mind and depressing me lately.


	24. Do You Like Your Coffee Bitter?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahahaha... ha... ha... Okay, so I didn't mean to make the wait this long after my author note in the last chapter. Really, I didn't. Life just got in the way. Basically, I'm applying for this pharmacy class, I needed to take a test to get in, and then take the course. I passed the test, but I got on the wait list. Not far down, I'll probably get in. This is more about making good money while I wait for this story to get made into a book. Because it takes like 6 months after sending it off and accepted to made into a book, or something like that. Not to mention it could get turned down. I just need a good job while I wait.
> 
> The reviews were all really great. Probably the most I've gotten in a long time. Especially on AO3. It meant a lot to me. I mean, what I said still stands, but I appreciate all the love. So, you know, always try to remember to leave a comment. Even if it's generic sounding. I don't care. And you don't even need to apologize for any grammar mistakes. I don't really care about that stuff. It's just nice to get the notification on my phone and get to read the things you guys say, especially on bad days. The new people, the old, and the ones that have just been quiet this whole time. It's been a nice few weeks reading over all the comments.
> 
> That being said, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'll talk more at the end. Enjoy!

Pulling up to the house had even Lee leaning forward in his seat, every ounce of sleep gone from his body. The brunet let out a long whistle as Jason parked his car. Neither of his friends moved as the car was turned off. “You never mentioned your family was loaded,” was all that Cecil said.

A soft chuckle escaped Jason as he rubbed the back of his neck and got out of the car. “Sorry. Um, yeah, this is kind of why I have been so distracted lately.” It wasn't really a lie. Not entirely. At least the coven weren't controlling the weather anymore. The last thing Jason needed was to explain why it was only snowing around his house. “It's taken some getting used to.”

“Like how loaded are these people?” That was Lee, who finally found it in himself to get out of the car. He was now carrying one of his two luggage bags over his shoulder, the other by his feet. “Lots of land.” His eyes scanned the front yard, lingering on the fountain. “Like, I'm kind of jealous?”

“Yeah,” Cecil chuckled. “And there were all those other private drives on the road you brought us down.”

Jason motioned for them to follow him. The boys grabbed their luggage and followed after Jason. The blond did his best to keep his fidgeting hands in front of him, where his friends wouldn't notice. “Well, my family here is friends with twelve other families here, and they built the town,” Jason explained. “And sort of own everything in it now.”

Cecil leaned back a little as he eyed Jason's home. “Looks like old money.”

“Nico's house looks more like what you'd picture looking like that,” Jason chuckled. He ignored the frown that popped on Lee's face at the name drop. “I think several of the families come from old money, back when they were even still in Europe.”

Which was true. Some of his history lessons had revealed that. Among those families were the di Angelos, Beauregards, and Apollo and Artemis on their mother's side. Apparently, the twins actually descended from nobility, though Jason had yet to find out which one. Percy's family, technically, came from old money, but only after they had become pirates and stole their weight in gold. Even from Blackbeard himself, as Percy told it.

It was just weird for Jason to think about what “old money” really meant when it came to them. Because a lot of the people in his friend group that would be called “old money”, had their family come into wealth through their great-grandparents. The weird part was that those great-grandparents were alive and well in something like the 1500s. Talking about family lineage was not something he could ever honestly discuss with his friends from back home.

As they entered the house, Jason was relieved to find the ceiling looking average and without a freaking sky. He had actually forgotten to mention that on his list of things Kronos needed to fix about the house. Jason gave his friends a moment to gawk and poke around a moment. Lee was about to touch a suit of armor, when Kronos cleared his throat from the stairs above them.

“That is quite expensive. Please refrain from touching.”

He didn't mention that it was there to defend the house from any sort of attack, or that it was actually from a Camelot knight. Lee slowly pulled back his hand. Behind Kronos was Gaea, and both of them came downstairs. At least she wasn't drinking. Improvement, Jason thought to himself. Maybe everything could go smoothly for this week.

Recovering from his thoughts, Jason quickly said, “Guys, this is my...” They had never actually decided on anything. Well damn.

“Cousin,” Kronos quickly added, shooting Jason a look. “My name is Kronos.” He motioned to Gaea, who stood a step behind him. “And my mother.”

The woman held her hand out and each boy shook it. “Gaea,” she said indifferently, like some queen that thought she owned the world. “A pleasure to have both of you boys staying with us for a week.”

“Right...” Jason slowly nodded. “My... cousin... and aunt.”

He looked to his friends, but they weren't moving. Kronos let out a sigh and ran a hand through her hair, while Gaea let her hand drop to her side. She quickly created a martini and downed it, the glass vanishing as quickly as it came as she threw it over her shoulder. Jason just stared at them.

Kronos was busy fiddling with a strand of hair that was out of place. “Perhaps you should have thought of this beforehand,” he muttered.

“I was a little busy worrying about everything else,” Jason retorted. Kronos shrugged indifferently. Frowning, Jason eyed his friends. “This isn't going to become a habit during their stay, is it?”

With her lips scrunched together, Gaea ran a finger along the banister of the stairs. “Will make it easier to discuss magic with mortals around.” She looked rather bored. Normally, the witch was locked in her study with several books. Kronos said she liked to spend her immortality studying as much magic as she possibly could. Jason had to wonder how well she could wield various other forms of magic. Immortality had its perks, Jason supposed. “Claiming to be your aunt and cousin would be a lot easier than explaining how your grandfather and great-grandmother look to be not much older than you.”

“And at least Mother looks to be older.” Kronos got hit in the back of the head for that.

Nodding, Jason motioned to Lee and Cecil. “Okay, but could you unfreeze them? I don't know how I feel about using magic on my friends just yet.” They looked like frozen statues, just very lifelike. Like really good wax mannequins. “Kind of feels wrong.”

“It's not like it's messing with them by doing so.” All the same, Kronos sighed and waved a hand. Lee and Cecil finally started moving again. “I suppose you two would like to see your rooms and drop off your things.” Kronos motioned upstairs, like the conversation had carried on where it had left off with the two. “Jason can show you where you'll be sleeping.”

Gaea smiled and nodded at both of them as the three boys made their way up the stairs. “Jason, we'll be out for a moment. We still need to see to some things with the other guest.” She urged Kronos down the rest of the steps. “If you need us, we will be over at the Castellans.”

Jason gave a slow nod, his brow furrowed and his lips tilted down. What were they going to talk about with the nephilim. Obviously they didn't want to tell him yet, or they would have brought it up while time was frozen. So he just said, “Okay. I will see you both later.”

On the way down the hall, Cecil asked, “Someone else vising right now?”

Visiting was such a strong word, Jason thought to himself. “Sort of. Friend of mine having some... family problems at home. So I brought him here.” Jason came to a stop at his room. “But, since you two were here to have fun, I figured it best to let him stay with another friend. He lives just up the road.” Opening the door, Jason motioned inside. “Anyways, this is my room, if you need me at any time.”

“Wow,” Lee chuckled, peering inside. “Damn, dude, this is a massive improvement from Lupa's place. Why didn't your parents just send you here to begin with? Like in their will?” He grinned at the blond and clapped him on the shoulder. “Not that I minded having you around. Just... this is... wow.”

“The house is wow,” Cecil added. He let out a whistle as he walked around Jason's bed. “This house has to be in the millions. And we haven't even seen half of what is inside.”

Probably for the best. Jason cleared his throat and silently hoped that the fridge took his threat to heart... or ice box... Whatever the equivalent would be for a magical fridge. Whose idea was it to enchant the thing anyways?

Gaea. Most likely Gaea. There was little doubt in Jason's mind. The test would come during dinner, he supposed.

“Right,” Jason recovered, “let's get to your rooms.”

The three left Jason's room and moved down the hall, to where the blond had prepared two rooms for his friends. They were a little smaller than his, but still very nice. Gaea had amassed a ton of books over the many years of her life, and she seemed to put them all throughout the house. The only place they weren't seemed to be in the kitchen, Jason's room, and Kronos' room. The two guest rooms each had two corner shelves packed with them. The beds were also big, but not canopy beds. There was also not a bathroom connected to theirs.

Cecil immediately plopped down on his bed, leaving his bags on the floor. “Bed soft,” he mumbled into the many pillows that were there. “I want to take it home with me.”

Jason chuckled and motioned behind him. “When you guys need to use the bathroom or shower, it's at the end of the hall on the right.” For now, anyways. Jesus. The very few times Jason had needed to go in there while getting ready for his friends, the room kept swapping sides of the hall. Kronos had said that it shifted whenever Gaea got bored of the house layout. “I got you guys some extra blankets and stuff, if you need any.”

Lee peered out the window with a frown. “Your family is nice... and loaded.” His lips tilted down. “Maybe a little off, but I have to admit that this house is like something out of a dream.”

“What do you mean 'off'?” Jason asked.

Shrugging, Lee turned to face the blond. “Dunno, just a feeling. Nice enough, just... weird.” He looked up at the ceiling. “This house just feels odd, too. Just strange.”

Panic screamed through Jason's every being, but he kept himself visibly calm. He didn't want his friends to be influenced by the curse, and anything seemed to be setting him off with worry. “Well, it's been around for a few hundred years now, just remolded a lot. Was even here during the Civil War.”

Lee nodded and said, “Maybe that's it.”

“Is it haunted?” Cecil asked, looking a little too excited. If only they knew.

“Maybe the fridge,” Jason muttered under his breath. He cleared his throat when the others looked at him funny. “Nah. It's just a normal house.” He would bring up Nico's house, but that was actually haunted and Jason did not want to risk his friends going into a place like that. “It grows on you.”

The door downstairs swung open and hit the wall loud enough for it to be heard upstairs. Cecil practically shot in the air like a scared cat at the sudden noise. There were voices that were now coming downstairs as well, sounded like arguing. Jason let out a sigh and headed to investigate.

“Jason!”

Percy grinned up at the blond from down below. Behind him was an irritated looking Nico and an amused Mitchell. Cecil and Lee peered over the railing and Percy waved up at them. Oh dear, Jason could only hope this went well.

“We were just about to head into town,” Percy announced as Jason, Cecil, and Lee descended the stairs. “Needed to pick up a few things, plus poke around Silena's new boutique.”

Jason tilted his head to the side and asked, “Silena opened a boutique?”

“Yeah,” Mitchell nodded. “Recently. Mom fronted the money.” He waved a hand through the air before adjusting the scarf around his neck. “Lots of incense and stuff. Some charms and knickknack things. Clothing as well.”

“We get to go and forge through the crowd of people that are surely going to be there in protest,” Percy added with a grin. Mitchell just smacked his face and Nico shook his head. The latter was being oddly quiet. Even more than usual. He had yet to even look at Jason. “So, do you three want to go?” Then, blinking, Percy rubbed the back of his neck with a grin. “I'm Percy, by the way.”

“Lee,” the boy introduced himself. Nico's eyes dulled at the name.

Cecil actually stepped up and shook Percy's hand. “I'm Cecil. So, do you guys have cool houses like this, too?”

“Got a pool,” Percy replied.

Jason already knew from the look he got from Cecil that they would be dropping by Percy's house at some point. Regardless of the weather. “Sure, I suppose we can tag along. If that's okay with you two.”

“Yeah!” Cecil replied instantly, just as Lee was opening his mouth. Cecil's curls were practically bouncing from the boy's excitement. “Can't wait to see the town. Jason showed us some, but didn't look like much.”

Mitchell shrugged and said, “Not much too it. Small town.”

Lee frowned. “Then how do you guys make so much money, if this town doesn't look like it has great economic flow?” He was regarding the three very suspiciously. Mainly Nico. It was funny, since Lee didn't even know that was actually Nico yet. Jason had never gotten around to sending any pictures to his friends. Nico, however, did know what Lee looked like and the boy refused to make any sort of eye contact. “Are all the houses this big?”

“Ah,” Percy scratched his cheek. “Jason's is technically the biggest. Mine and Nico's are the next biggest. Then the rest are around the same size. All still big, not very noticeable, I guess.” Percy's eyes snapped open a bit and moved behind Nico. Fuck, Jason thought to himself and held his breath, here it comes. “Oh yeah.” He motioned to Mitchell. “So this is Mitchell. His sister owns the boutique we'll be visiting.” Then his hands landed on Nico's shoulders. “And this is Nico.”

There were two drastic reactions that came from that name. Cecil's eyes lit up like the Fourth of July, interest clearly in overdrive as he took in every aspect of Nico's appearance. Lee, on the other hand, did not have such a positive reaction. The boy's eyes narrowed and he frowned. He also took in Nico's appearance, but it was like he was prepared every flaw that could be found on the boy. Not that Jason thought there were any to find, but that was just him and he admitted to his biased opinion.

Unlike before, it was actually Lee that stepped up to shake Nico's hand. Kind of surprising, really. “So you're Nico?” Lee asked, adjusting the backwards cap that sat over his short brown hair. “You look so young. You're what... fourteen?”

That dull look in Nico's eyes didn't even flinch as he replied, “Sixteen. I'll turn seventeen next month.”

Percy and Jason shared a look and both silently agreed to get things moving before a war broke out in the middle of Gaea's house. The sad part was that his great-grandmother would probably only be upset that it didn't happen while she was there to watch. So the two boys quickly guided the others out the door and loaded up in two separate cars.

The upside: Jason got to talk more with his friends from back home. The downside: Nico wasn't in his car.

Not that Jason expected him to ride with him, not with Lee there. He was already worried that his friend was going to be affected by the curse, but Jason now realized that he probably needed to keep an eye on Lee around Nico as well.

On the way to the boutique, it was Cecil that broke the silence. “Congrats on the boyfriend, man!” There was such a huge grin on the boy's face that Jason didn't even want to correct the guy.

Lee didn't have the same though. “They aren't dating.” He let out a grunt before leaning forward to frown at Jason. “Right? Or are you now?”

Quickly glancing at his friend, trying to keep his eyes on the road, Jason shook his head. “We're not.” He internally sighed as a smirk appeared on Lee's face and the boy smacked Cecil's arm. “Not yet anyways.”

“What do you mean 'yet'?” Lee crossed his arms and looked out the window as they passed some stores. “This town is pretty small, I guess. How small is your high school anyways?”

“Uh... I don't know. I think there are like one hundred and fifty seniors graduating this year.”

Cecil nudged Jason with a smile. “It's a nice town, though. Must be nice to see the stars at night.” The brunet's smile was contagious and Jason found himself smiling as well. “And Nico is cute. I hope you change that status soon enough.” Lee decided it was a perfect time to clear his throat. Letting out a huff, Cecil turned in his seat. “Don't pout now, Lee. You had your chance.”

Another grunt from Lee and then, “I just don't understand what you see in him. He's not all that impressive looking.” That was not true at all, Jason thought to himself. Nico was impressive, but he couldn't tell his friends that. “He seems a little weird. Weirder, I mean. Maybe a little creepy.”

“Hey, can you knock it off?” Jason finally said. He frowned in the rear view mirror at his friend. “Just give a chance. You don't even know him yet.”

They came to a stop as Jason pulled in to park beside Percy. A long sigh from Lee let Jason know that his friend would try his best not to pass judgment. Not that Jason expected Lee to hold that promise for very long.

And it didn't.

“Small town,” Lee mumbled as he zipped his jacket up halfway. Then, making sure it was loud enough to be heard, “I guess I can see why you settle on things with so few options around.”

“Lee,” Jason hissed, “what did I just say?” There was a shrug from Lee, like he didn't know what he did wrong. Jason glanced over at Nico. The boy wasn't even paying them any attention. Mitchell and him were too busy talking quietly to themselves. That part did seem to tick Lee off, his jab at Nico going unnoticed by the target. “So, shall we go inside?”

The shop was pretty small, just a normal square building along the strip of stores that were downtown. It was actually pretty empty, save for one or two women that seemed brave enough to venture into a shop that they believed to be a witch. They did seem rather nervous to be there, clutching tightly to their purses and making sure to keep an eye on Silena.

` “Guys!”

Speaking of, Silena was behind the counter. Her face had relief painted all over it at the sight of it. She seemed a lot more stressed than the last time that Jason had seen her on the twenty-fifth. Her hair seemed just a tiny bit out of place, and the woman had not bothered to put makeup on that morning. Not that it mattered. Silena could go without sleep for days, eat as much as she wanted, and still manage to look like she belonged on a runway.

Mitchell rested his elbows on the counter. “How is it today?” he asked. “There wasn't a mob out.”

“I think they took a break,” Silena sighed. She shook her head and tried to fix her hair. “Sales are going fine, though. I just wanted something to do, instead of sitting at home all day and listen to mother.” She pushed some cologne forward. “Here, you might like this, Mitch.”

The boy smirked and sprayed some on his wrist before sniffing it. “You know me so well, sis.” He placed the bottle back on the counter and reached for his wallet. “How much?”

“On the house.”

“But-”

“Family doesn't pay,” Silena stated. Then she added, “Unless you are Mother or Drew. I'd go broke if I didn't charge those two.” She smiled at the rest of the group, noticing the two new additions. “Oh, hello, you two must be Jason's friends from out of town.”

Cecil managed to reply with, “Yes... we... uh... vising...” His mouth floundered several times, cheeks so very red. “Wow. Pretty.”

Chuckling, Jason cleared his throat, “Pretty engaged.” That made Cecil flounder and turn even more red. Silena smiled at him, though. “You're getting married this spring, right?”

“Yep.” Silena smiled and took pity on Cecil by patting the back of his hand. Then she said, “You might be interested in some candles or incense. The ones I sell here really set a mood. Perhaps you could buy one and try it out on a lucky girl from back home.”

A lot of nods came from Cecil, but no words. He quickly moved over to where Silena had pointed and began searching through the hundreds of candles that she had in stock. Jason just shook his head as he watched his friend. Cecil could talk big game, but he could never manage to really talk to a girl. And it didn't help matters that Silena and her whole family were gorgeous.

When Jason turned back around, he attempted to go browse the store. He stopped for a second, noticing four people staring at the shop from across the road. Maybe it wouldn't get out of hand while they were there? Jason really wanted to avoid his friends seeing how much the town disliked them. Honestly, the only way that would happen was if he kept them at the mansion the whole week. Not that they'd probably mind.

He let out a grunt and went about browsing the shop. He kept his eyes on Lee and Cecil every now and then, but they both seemed content with inspecting the shop on their own. A smile spread across his lips as he noticed Nico heading in his direction. Jason had been wanting to talk to Nico so badly all day, but everyone had been around so far.

“Hey,” Nico said softly.

Jason smiled. “Hey.”

It felt like New Orleans all over again. There was a moment of silence, where they just smiled at each other. Jason's heart fluttered in his chest. Was he crazy to think he might actually have as deep of feelings as he thought he did towards Nico? The better question was if Nico felt the same way or not.

Then Nico cleared his throat and said, “Cecil's nice.” Jason chuckled at the unspoken meaning. Cecil was nice, but Nico could probably do without Lee. “So will I be seeing you much this week?”

“Jealous?”

Nico scoffed. “Hardly.” He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his bomber jacket and peered up at the blond. “Still... I usually see you on a near daily basis. But I understand if you want some alone time with your friends.”

Smiling, Jason reached out and tucked a strand of Nico's hair behind his ear. The action caused both of them to blush. “You're welcome to come chill with us whenever you want,” he finally mumbled. A quick glance at the window told him that two more had joined the group across the road. “You could be a helpful guide in helping me find entertainment for them this week. Lee does have a point, there isn't a whole lot to do around Aimes. At least not that I can show them.”

“Damn, can't show them the sacrificial chamber down beneath the crypt,” Nico joked. His lips were so very soft and pink, and Jason just found them so very tantalizing. The way they moved was almost hypnotic. “Something tells me that Lee won't like me tagging along.”

Jason frowned and replied, “Yeah, well, he can get over it.” His smile returned as Nico looked up at him. “I want you there.”

“Are you doing okay?”

There was a sudden seriousness to Nico's words. He kept his face light, just lowered his voice and leaned in a little more. Jason didn't even have to ask what Nico meant. He knew. Perhaps it was good that Nico brought it up.

“Just cold every now and then,” the blond replied. He picked up a jar of incense and sniffed it. “What about you?”

“Better,” Nico admitted. Jason lit up. It was a simple response, but the answer made Jason know that whatever he had put himself through was worth it. “You'll know if I get too bad. That cold feeling will get stronger.” He took the jar from Jason and smelled it with a smile. “Shouldn't be too bad. The anchor I now have to you is stronger than the one I had with Percy. I can pull myself back easier.”

Jason gave a small nod. “Do you think we should look for the book?” That didn't seem to be what Nico wanted to talk about. The boy made a face, like he tasted something sour. “It's just that Circe was asking about it. She's probably looking for it. Wouldn't it be better if we-”

“Is that a mob forming outside?” Lee asked, suddenly appearing beside Jason and slinging his arm around the blond's neck. Nico did not look amused. “There are like twelve people out there now.”

It was correct. And it looked like even more people were gathering, some with signs. “Yeah,” Jason mumbled. “I'll talk to you about that later.”

With a grunt, Lee turned his attention upon Nico. “So, Nico, I have to say I'm quite surprised now that I've actually seen you.” His lips scrunched up as he continued. “Not Jason's usual type.”

That was actually true, Nico didn't fit Jason's normal type. “Type” being the people in the past that Jason had either dated or gone on a few dates with. His first relationship had been with a girl. Back then, Jason had wanted to be everything that he thought his parents had expected from him. It was more of a way of honoring their memory. Which included dating the smartest girl in his class. After his dreams had started, he had begun dreaming of the ghost boy, which was now known to be Nico. Jason just remembered softer features, and the girl that he ended up dating had those.

But it didn't work out. Jason realized that the figure in his dream was a boy. A startling realization. And not wanting to lead the girl on, Jason broke it off with her. Then came his first boyfriend during Jason's sophomore year. And he had actually been a year older. The guy had even been taller than Nico was now, and was tan and fit. However, he carried the dark hair and eyes that Jason could sometimes distinguish in his dreams. Then there was Lee. What Jason had never told Lee was that he had eventually come to the conclusion that they dated simply because Jason had wanted to get over the guy in his dreams. Being with someone that didn't look anything like that boy seemed the best way to do it.

Nico did give Jason a curious look, but didn't seemed otherwise bothered by the statement. His eyes silently said: This fool has no idea. The fact that Jason was incapable of actually having romantic feelings for anyone other than Nico due to the curse was a fact that would forever escape Lee. Jason had mentioned a boy from his dreams to Lee once or twice, but there was no way that he could actually tell his friends that the boy that he mentioned was now standing directly in front of them.

The lack of response did cause a twitch in Lee's eye. Perhaps Nico knew it was the best way to set Lee off. Jason just shook his head with a sigh and removed himself from under Lee's arms. He really wanted them to get along. Cecil did have a point, Jason and Nico were not dating right now, but they would hopefully be changing that soon enough. And Jason really wanted his friends to get along with his future boyfriend.

Nico finally let a small smile spread across his lips. “I think we should probably get out of here before more people show up outside.” He was right. There were nearing twenty people outside now, with even more signs. “I'll go get Percy and Mitchell.”

As he went off, Nico passed by Jason and let his fingers brush sensually across the blond's arm. The touch sent a fire through Jason's whole being, and caused a volcanic eruption in Lee. The brunet seethed as he watched Nico walk off, grunting and folding his arms across his chest like a child pouting.

“I don't know what you see in him,” Lee muttered. Jason just smiled.

As they were leaving, things got a little messy.

By messy, Jason meant there was a tomato thrown at his head. Well, several tomatoes, but only one managed to come close to him. Percy actually caught the one aimed for him. The boy just shook the gunk off his hand like it didn't bother him at all. Mitchell took one look at the crowd, looked down at his wardrobe, and went back inside.

On the way in, however, was Malcolm. The shorter blond held some books close to his chest, his other hand trying to adjust his glasses every time that bumped someone's shoulder. He quickly ducked as soon as he was halfway across the street, which meant a tomato landed at Cecil's feet. “Sweet! We're in the middle of a riot!” the brunet shouted happily. Then he blinked in confusion. “What are they angry about?”

“That would be us,” Malcolm answered as he managed to reach the group. He removed his glasses to wipe them on his shirt before returning them to his face. “Thought I would come check the shop out. Plus Silena wanted to me to grab some books that she left at home.”

Cecil held up a hand in a wave. “What's up, man? I'm Cecil.” The peppy boy bumped shoulders with Lee. “And this is Jason's other friend from back home. Lee.”

Malcolm gave a nod to them both and said, “Nice to meet you. My name is Malcolm.” He was about to head into the shop, when something seemed to pop into his head. The boy snapped his slender fingers and yanked on Nico's sleeve. “If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you meet me later? I need to talk to Annabeth, and she's buried herself into some books.”

“Why can't you just get her yourself? Is Annabeth Nico's sister?” Lee asked.

Not taking his eyes off Malcolm, Nico replied with, “Malcolm's cousin.” A frowned marred Nico's lips, not that Jason noticed or anything. “She's still down there?” Malcolm nodded. “Yeah, just meet me there in an hour.”

Smiling, Malcolm nodded. When his eyes drifted over to Jason, he frowned. “You've got a little something...” He motioned to his cheek. Jason quickly reached up and rubbed a piece of tomato off. “Better.” The others slowly headed for the car, but Jason remained behind, having found some more stuff in his hair. Looked like an eggshell. “You get used to it.”

Jason blinked up at Malcolm, like the words didn't fully register in his head.

Malcolm just chuckled and flicked a carrot off Jason's shoulder. His eyes lingered momentarily on the shouting crowd across the road, but they soon returned to Jason's face. “You get used to the curse after a while. I imagine that you're nervous about your friends.”

“Yeah,” Jason muttered. Digging the toe of his shoe into the ground, Jason cut his eyes over to where his friends were waiting at the car. “Must have sucked to grow up in all this, though.”

“You could say that. We're supposed to live so long, but not many in this coven actually make it to term.” Malcolm's brow furrowed as he stared at the crowd again. “Tragic accidents, people influenced by the curse, witch hunters, etc. I'm surprised our coven hasn't died off by this point. You find most of us, like me, who live with an aunt or an uncle within the coven. My mother was Athena's sister. Went off to try and live a normal life, tried to find a cure for some radical disease that the government keeps locked up. Witch hunters found her and injected her with the very virus that she was working with.”

“And your father?”

There was a grunt from Malcolm as he adjusted his glasses. “Airplane crash. An 'accident'.” He shook his head and looked over when Mitchell knocked on the window. The shorter blond gave a small wave. “My and Annabeth's grandmother was killed just because she was a woman that liked science. Time has been very backwards. Then again, we still have to live in that era thanks to the curse.”

The two of them just stood there for a moment, neither knowing where to go next with the conversation. Lee let out a whistle and motioned to the car when Jason glanced over. Jason just frowned and held up a finger to indicate he needed a minute. Percy and Nico had already left, or so it seemed. Jason would be lying if he weren't a little disappointed about that.

When Jason returned his gaze to Malcolm, he asked, “What is Annabeth doing down in the crypt anyways?”

“She's...” Malcolm trailed off with a sigh. He shook his head and adjusted the books in his arms. “I think she's obsessed with all this. Not the nephilim, just Circe. It's killing her to not know what the witch has planned.” He gave Jason a shrug as he backed towards the shop. “Nothing good, I'm sure of that.”

“Yeah,” Jason muttered with a far off look. He really disliked hearing that name nowadays. “See ya around, Malcolm.”

\---------------------------------------

Early the next morning, Jason decided to get up before his friends. It took him a moment, but he remembered an easy spell to get him out of the house without any creaking floorboard to alert his friends. He slowly spread his hands out in opposite directions. Time stood still and Jason slowly moved his left hand towards his right. The house shifted and Jason found himself outside the house, floating several feet in the air.

Lowering his right hand, Jason put himself on the ground. As he brought his hands together again, time turned over on himself and continued like it had a moment ago. Displacement. Just like Jason had been in this spot, instead of up in his room, half a second ago.

Okay, so, it wasn't all that simple. It was literally bending time and space around him. But Jason had been learning and studying his magic, and Kronos supported his practice of it. Plus it was fun. He could have just froze time and walked out of the house, but where was the fun in that?

So, where was he headed this early in the morning?

Jason wanted to check on Luke. He left the nephilim in Luke's care, the least Jason could do was check up on how things were going? He had yet to see a smoke cloud rising in the distance, so Jason at least knew that the nephilim had not blown up the Castellan house. Then again, its powers were bound.

Either way, Jason was a little surprised to find Luke pacing outside on the porch. When he noticed Jason approaching, he grunted and created a mug of coffee in his hand. He sat down on the porch swing as Jason stepped foot on the porch.

“I think I'm going to lose my mind,” he stated plainly.

He did look exhausted. Hell, it was cold out, and Luke had come outside in only a shirt and boxers. His toes wiggled as he shifted the weight of the swing back and forth.

Jason asked, “What's the problem? Is the nephilim causing havoc?”

“No.”

“Is anyone hurt? Maimed? Dead?”

“No.”

Jason arched a brow and shoved his hands into a light jacket that he had put on before leaving. “Set fire to anything?” he asked. Luke shook his head. “Well, what has he done?”

After a long sip of coffee, Luke just said, “Nothing. He's been perfectly behaved.”

Jason went to open his mouth, then shut it. Was the nephilim not eating Hermes out of house and home? Yelling at the TV? Anything? Kicked a puppy maybe? “Then why...” He motioned to the other blond. “Why do you look so frustrated?”

“He won't leave me alone,” came Luke's reply. He tossed the coffee mug over his shoulder, where it hit the ground and became a bunny that scampered off behind a tree. Was it sad that this seemed normal to Jason now? “Like he tried to follow me into the bathroom when I was going to shower.” The blond pushed back on the swing as far as his legs could extend before letting it go. “I have no personal space with him around. He follows me around like some lost dog.”

“What do you talk about?”

“What?” Luke shook his head in frustration. “Why does it matter? Just talk. He asks me random things that are pretty mundane. Why do mortals put their food in cans? This came after he tried to bite into the can to get its contents. Then he asked something about why we leash pets.” There was a grunt from Luke as he placed his hands behind his head. “Then I asked him a few things. I asked about Eros' home life. He was abused a lot.” The blond licked his lips as he glared at the ground. “Maybe he is in a better place now, if the things the nephilim told me are true.”

The cold air bit at Jason's face and neck as he huddled in his jacket. How was Luke not freezing? “Maybe we could have saved him.”

Luke snorted and said, “And done what? Brought him like we did the nephilim?” His jaw squared as he stared out across the yard. “Yeah, I can see that working out real well,” he said bitterly and sarcastically. “No, I think the nephilim might have been right when it said that Eros never could have been...” He wave a hand dismissively. “Forget it. We're fine over here. No worries.”

Their conversation was to end there. It just fell quiet, Luke not wanting to talk further. So Jason trekked back through the woods and entered his house. Gaea was already up—or perhaps she had been up—and was stirring batter to make pancakes, while she had Cecil helping her set a table. Lee was most definitely still asleep, or more like dead to the world. Kronos would still be asleep as well. His grandfather did wake up early at times, but it seemed those days usually revolved around the warlock being unable to sleep or something important was happening.

“Oh, Jason, there you are,” Gaea said as she made a small turn to look around the kitchen. “Percy and Nico will be stopping by in a bit...” Her eyes shifted to Cecil momentarily. “Usual business.”

The unspoken message was lessons with Gaea. Being part of the three more prominent families in the coven, Percy and Nico had been groomed to take over for their parents practically since birth. Jason, as Kronos had told him several times over, would have to get caught up on his studies and join them for this event. Even though Gaea and Kronos were both immortal, they both felt it good for Jason to become a leader. Which was fine with Jason, because it meant more time with Nico.

“Right,” Jason replied. He grabbed a bottle of orange juice from the fridge and set it in the middle of the table. “I'm not sure what we are doing today.” His days were not normally this boring, but he knew it probably seemed that way to his friends. But, without magic being involved, there was not much to do around town. “Cecil, got anything you might wanna do?”

The brunet was in the process of starting a pot of coffee that he probably didn't need to start with. “Uh... I don't know.” There was a flash through his eyes and the boy held up a finger. “Wait. I know what we can do. There was that really cool looking cemetery up the road.” Jason felt ice run through his veins and Gaea glanced his way. The blond knew that she was probably scolding him silently. It wasn't his fault! “You know I love getting pictures whenever I go somewhere new. My dad would love to see it. Looks like it was Civil War aged.”

“What was Civil War aged?” came Lee's mumbled voice right before he rounded the corner into the kitchen. His feet dragged on the floor and he scratched his back. Even with his short hair, it was still sticking up every direction imaginable. “I smell coffee.”

Grinning, Cecil poured his friend a cup and watched as Lee downed it. Another cup was quickly poured. “That graveyard up the road.”

“That is our family cemetery,” Gaea answered as she turned off the stove and prepared some plates. Jason went to help her, receiving a warning glare from the witch when their backs were turned. Fix this, was what her eyes screamed at him. “Just mind yourselves there.”

Cecil grinned and said, “On our best behavior.”

Both Jason and Lee arched their eyebrows at the boy as they sat down and divided up the food. Cecil just grinned back at them and began to pour syrup on his pancakes. Then the doorbell rang.

Jason turned in his seat to look at the door for a moment. Strange. The only people that came around the house were in the coven, and none of them rang the doorbell. Everyone just usually walked in each other's homes within the coven. So who could be at the door?

“Jason, would you mind getting that?” Gaea asked calmly as she accepted the syrup from Cecil.

After a brief pause and strange looks from his friends, Jason got up. Sadly, his breakfast would have to wait a little bit longer. It wouldn't seem strange to his friends either, just another person at the door. But it just did not happen here. And nobody from the town was brave enough to actually come up to any of the mansions. The iron gates were the line that mortals dared not to cross.

As it turned out, it was nobody that Jason knew. “Um... can I help you?” he asked, scratching at his head.

Staring back at him was this very bubbly girl with giant blonde curls and extremely high heels. She seemed perplexed to see Jason and even checked behind herself, then down at a piece of paper in her hand, then back up to Jason. Her shirt also pushed her breasts up to a point that they looked like they might pop out.

The stair creaked behind Jason and the girl's eyes roamed. Not even a second passed between the point her eyes lit up and she pushed past Jason. The blond stumbled and had to catch a vase that nearly hit the floor. On the stairs was Kronos, his eyes groggy as he observed the girl that moved to stand in front of him. It was clear that he did not know her either.

“Kronos!” She chirped. Oh god, her voice was like nails on a chalkboard. “I must say, you are even more fetching in person.”

Rubbing his eyes—which were to remain brown for the duration of Lee and Cecil's visit—Kronos glanced at Jason for answers. The blond had none. “Right... who are you?” he asked with a finger in the woman's direction. “And why are you in my house at this hour?”

“To get married of course!”

There were two responses to this.

First was Jason's. The blond's head shot between the two on the stairs so hard that he probably got whiplash. Then there was Kronos, who had no facial reaction, and only replied with, “Dammit.”

Gaea, bless her, must have heard some of this, because she got up and shut the door to the kitchen. But damn her for not getting involved. She got to enjoy her breakfast, while Jason felt trapped in this newly developed mess.

Kronos gently brushed the woman aside and moved down the stairs. “Too early for this, haven't had my coffee.” He shot a finger in her direction before her mouth could fully open. “And if you utter any inclination of magic in this house, I will turn you into a nice garden statue.” He ran his hair through his messy hair with a sigh. “Mortals are in the other room. Be thankful that you weren't lacking enough intelligence to say something incriminating.”

As Kronos moved across the room, the woman that was apparently a witch, followed after him. “But I must plead my case for why we should be wed!” She was practically on his heels, which was impressive with how well she kept up in those shoes of hers. “My family is very prominent and powerful back in-”

“No.”

“But-”

“No,” Kronos said again. He looked exhausted. Being immortal definitely did not mean being able to go without sleep. “I have said this time and time again to witches and warlocks alike that keep coming over here and finding me, but I do not want to get married. Not now, not ever.” For emphasis, he grabbed her face and let her look upon how done he was with this conversation. “I am sorry that you wasted all this time coming here, but the answer is no. No. No. No. No. Ask me in a hundred more years and my answer will still be no. Give me all the money in the world, it'll still be no. You could look just like-” His hands slowly fell and he turned around with a sign. “Nothing. Just no.”

“But my Uncle Hyperion-”

“Oh gods.” Kronos made a face as he shuddered. “Definitely no then.”

As the door opened behind Jason, the woman kept trying to plead her case to Kronos, who—like some kind of child—covered his ears and began to make noises. Jason shook his head and turned to see who came in. A smile overtook him as he found Nico's perplexed face in the doorway.

Percy came up to Jason and whispered in his ear, “What's going on?”

It was like a train wreck, and Jason could not bring himself to look away from his grandfather and the girl trying to get engaged. “Apparently, she wants to marry Kronos.”

“Another one?” Nico asked, his voice worn and groggy.

A sour look passed over Percy's face as he huffed and crossed his arms. It was a little perplexing, but he did not get to voice any questions, as a lamp was tossed across the room. It was probably aimed for Kronos' head, but the warlock seemed to have dodged it.

The door to the kitchen shot open and out came Gaea. “What is going on in here?” she demanded.

The girl quickly went stiff and bowed respectively to Gaea. “I am so sorry, my lady! I apologize for my tempter. I don't know what came over me.” Her eyes had lit up a little as she quickly made her way across the room and took Gaea's hand. “Perhaps you could speak to your son about marrying me.”

One hand at a time, Gaea removed the young witch from grasping her hands. “I believe that is a matter for the two of you.” Her eyes looked to her son, who shook his head. “Then perhaps you should take your leave, dear child.”

“But-” the girl began, but fell silent as she thought better of it. With a final look to Kronos, she left the door much more quietly than she came.

“Good for you, Kronos,” Percy immediately said when the door was shut. Nico rolled his eyes. “You don't need her. You're too good for her.”

Gaea pinched the bridge of her nose. “I am pleased to see that both you are here on time.” As Percy was still yammering to Kronos, Gaea walked by him and took hold of his ear. “Come along now.” Percy let out a yelp as he was dragged upstairs, presumably to Gaea's study.

A small smile was touching Nico's lips when Jason turned his attention back to him. “Good morning,” the blond said, smiling himself from seeing the boy again.

Nico's smile grew. “Morning.”

Clearing his throat, Kronos motioned to the kitchen. “I think I'll take that as my cue to get breakfast.” He smiled as he walked by. “Just don't take too long, or Mother will be back down to drag you up there as well, Nico.”

“Wait,” Jason said. Kronos stopped. “What was...” he motioned to the door, “that?”

“Oh. Nothing.” Kronos rubbed the back of his neck. He was apparently decided in not looking at the smug look on Nico's face. “It happens from time to time?”

Wait, what? There was a look of disbelief that crossed Jason's face. He halfway didn't want to even ask. Every time that he tried to ask about something around here, some horribly unbelievable response was always the answer. But he was still curious, so he asked, “You're saying that crazies show up from time to time to ask you to marry them? Why?”

“The downside to being my mother's son. Be thankful that it hasn't gotten around the magical world yet that you exist.” Eyes briefly flashed gold as Nico snickered. “People are greedy for power, and marrying into this family can get people that. It happens when your mother is the most powerful witch alive.” His head tilted back and when he spoke again, his voice was exasperated. “How do you think I got married to your grandmother?”

“I believe, at the time, my grandfather was also with-”

“Yes,” Kronos sighed, “I know.” He shook his head before checking to make sure the kitchen door was still closed. During this time, Jason and Nico shared an amused look. “If it happens again, and you are the one to answer the door, do me the favor of telling them I am not interested.”

With a salute, Jason smiled. “Yes, sir.” That got him an irritated look, which he ignored. Kronos went into the kitchen, leaving Jason alone with Nico. “That was interesting.” A finger was raised to point upstairs. “What was up with Percy?”

Nico groaned and rubbed his temple. “Old crush. Nothing serious. I don't think he would ever pursue Kronos, but Percy knows no bounds when it comes to sexual interests. I'm telling you, if he found a really appealing tree...”

That made Jason snort. His laugh died down into a smile as he shifted a little closer. “I think I'd be more worried about you having a crush on my grandfather.”

“Ah. Well, I do have my grandfather's memories and stuff. I do know how much he cared for Kronos.” Nico stuck his tongue out with a smirk when Jason pouted. “But I think I much prefer his grandson.”

“You better,” Jason muttered with a smile. Feeling a little brave, he leaned in to kiss Nico on the cheek.

It was not a cheek that his lips met.

Right before Jason made contact, Nico turned his head and their lips met. Blue eyes snapped open in surprised. That he was not expecting. He also did not mind one bit. Ever so carefully, Jason's hands found their way to Nico's waist to pull the boy closer to him.

Electricity coursed through Jason's every vein, a fire surged in his core. Those soft, pale lips were on his once more. Even if it was a chaste kiss, it was long overdue. It felt like forever since they last kissed. And Jason never wanted this feeling to end.

When their eyes opened and their lips parted, the two just stared at each other for a moment. A throat cleared and they both looked to the kitchen, where Cecil and Lee were standing. Cecil gave them a secret thumbs up. Secret because of the frustrated look on Lee's face. Jason helped straighten Nico back up so that the boy could stand on his own.

“Didn't mean to interrupt,” Lee grumbled.

Cecil added, “I'm happy we did.” That got him an elbow to the gut.

Clearing his throat, Nico stepped away from Jason, who had a light blush on his cheeks. They were both still trying to catch their breaths. “I should...” Nico whispered, motioning up the stairs. Jason gave a nod and shoved his hands into his pockets, trying his best not to smile and watch Nico go. At the top of the stairs, Nico called down, “I'll see you later, Jason.”

Too much. Jason grinned for a second, then he met Lee's gaze and coughed. This had to be a good sign between him and Nico, right? Nico had been the one to initiate the kiss. “Uh...” Jason rubbed the back of his neck. “I'm gonna eat my breakfast.” Finally, he added to himself. “You two can go get showered while I eat.” Waving a hand towards the upstairs, Jason rubbed his face. “One of you can use my shower. I'll be up after I eat.”

After eating his breakfast and sitting in the kitchen for a few extra minutes—he really did not want to go upstairs—Jason made the journey up the stairs. He was not prepared for the conversation with Lee. Most of his concern for this trip had been towards Lee anyways. When it came to Cecil, his only concern was exposing magic. Things with Lee were a bit different. There was no avoiding how Jason felt about Nico, and the blond knew that there was no way they wouldn't have to discuss the subject at some point during the visit.

Really, Jason was not sure why Lee thought this was such a good idea. Not that he didn't want to see his friends. He did. It was just that he knew Lee could get jealous, and Jason also knew that he had no romantic interest in his friend. Not while the curse was still ongoing.

That made Jason stop at the top of the stairs.

Perhaps this was what frustrated Nico when it came to the two of them. Realizing that, no matter what, the two of them would always be bound towards each other. If they drove themselves apart, they would be alone. Or unhappy with someone else. Perhaps it was a little unfair to each of them. Still, Jason was not so convinced that there weren't real feelings involved.

When Jason opened the door to his room, he heard the water shut off in the bathroom. He stepped into his closet and found a suitable shirt and jeans for the day. After grabbing himself some clean underwear, he set his stuff down on his bed and sat down next to the pile of clothes to wait his turn in the bathroom.

Jason looked up to find Lee standing there in just a towel. They held each other's gaze as Lee entered the room. “So,” Lee broke the silence, “I see you must really like this Nico kid.”

“He's only a year younger than us.” Jason stood to his feet. “But why do you say that?”

Making sure the towel on his waist would stay in position, Lee let out a sigh and crossed his arms. “I don't know, just that the way that you look at him. You never looked at me like that. Or any other person that I can recall.” He softly shook his head as his eyes scanned Jason's ceiling, even though it was bare. “The only time I remember you having a similar look on your face was whenever you'd talk about that boy from your dreams. I just always thought that you just held too high expectations from a dream. Something from a dream can be however perfect you want it. Figured you might come around sooner or later.”

“I'm sorry,” Jason muttered. He wasn't sorry that he had feelings for Nico, Jason was just sorry that it seemed to cause problems for his friendship with Lee. “I do like him. A lot. Honestly, if some problems around here hadn't come up when they did, the two of us would probably already be dating. I was just hoping we could avoid any conflict over the issue.”

Lee had his lips pursed as he listened to every word out of Jason's mouth. He scratched at a spot next to his mouth when the blond was done and said, “I think the issue, at least for me, is that I see that I basically have no chance.” The boy motioned to himself. “I'm standing here wet and in a towel, and you're able to look right at me without a reaction at all. Like I'm not even physically appealing. But you look at him, just look at him, and you blush and smile.”

It was true. Lee could have probably dropped the towel, and Jason wouldn't have responded. There was a bit of a feeling like cotton in his mouth over that realization. Mainly, it just reinforced what he thought about on the way up to his room. Nobody would ever compete with Nico as long as the curse existed. But, honestly, the truth was that Jason wasn't sure if he minded that fact or not.

Lee left the room after it was clear that Jason was not going to reply. Jason sighed and rubbed at his face before gathering up his clothes and entering the bathroom. It gave him time to think, though. This week was already stressful. Lessons weren't nearly as stressful as this.

Unlike Lee, when Jason left the bathroom, he was fully dressed. Probably a good thing, since Lee was sitting on his bed. The boy was chewing on his lip, hat turned backwards on his head. “I don't understand how you can feel so comfortable around the people in this town,” the boy said quietly.

Jason just sighed and looked for his shoes. “I know that the people around Aimes can be a little backwards, but the town is-”

“Not them.” Lee was frowning when Jason turned back around. “I mean these people here. Your family, Nico, and the rest of them. They just... feel off. Very strange. And they make me feel uncomfortable.” Lee scratched the back of his head. “When are you coming home?”

Oh. It surprised Jason a little to hear that from Lee. Also disappointed him. The first part of what his friend said only made him worry more that the curse was setting in. Did Lee view him any different? Would Lee voice it if he did?

Licking his lips, Jason gave himself a moment to think. Then, sitting down next to his friend to put his shoes on, the blond said, “I'm not coming back to California.”

It would be easier if he did. And there was a part of Jason that wanted to agree with Lee and go back. Maybe everything could go back to normal. But the voice in the back of his head only told Jason that normal was not a part of his life anymore. Jason was a warlock. He would be able to control his magic by May most likely, he could go back to California and leave all this behind, but Jason did not want to. And there was a chance that he really couldn't. If Circe won with whatever she was up to, nowhere in the world could be safe. No, Jason needed to stay here.

Not just because of responsibility, but because it was where his heart was now.

Before Lee could argue further, Jason just said, “Just try to give them all a chance. Especially Nico.” He attempted a smile at his friend. “For me?”

The look on Lee's face made Jason wonder if they would be friends for much longer.

\-----------------------------------

Right before bed, Jason went outside and sat on the porch with Cecil. Lee had gone to bed not long ago. For the moment, Jason just wanted to give him some space. Cecil lifted a mug of hot chocolate—filled to the brim with marshmallows—to his lips.

Jason had to chuckle a bit when Cecil lowered the mug to reveal a little mustache now on his friend's upper lip. “So, how are you liking it here?” Jason decided to ask first.

Smiling down at his hot chocolate, Cecil took another sip. Then his eyes went up to the sky, twinkling in the moonlight. He was happy. “I like it. Nice and quiet, everyone seems to know each other, and the food is so good.” A grin overtook him as he looked over at Jason. “You gotta send me some food from Demeter from time to time. I might get fat, but worth.”

The same reaction Jason first had of this part of the world. Demeter's food was heaven. “Her cooking is pretty amazing,” the blond chuckled as he adjusted his glasses.

“She said she was gonna make me some cookies and a pie to take back with me.” It was like Cecil's mouth was watering just thinking about the food. “And she wanted to cook dinner for Lee and I. But, I mean, you know how he's being.” The boy shrugged and drank more of his hot chocolate. “I just think he misses you and wants you to come home, but I get that you probably want to be with your family.” With a grin, he nudged Jason. “And perhaps other reasons, am I right?”

Jason chuckled and nodded. “Maybe that has a little to do with it.” A lot. “But how is everything?” It was just a hope that Cecil was not coming under the influence of the curse. “You're okay with my family? Their friends?”

“Um... yeah?” A confused look crossed Cecil's face as he finished off the rest of his drink. “They're cool. I'm happy that you're happy with Nico. Maybe the next time I visit, or you come visit home, you'll actually be dating.” He chuckled and nudged Jason again. “Maybe lose that virginity of yours.”

Red spread all over Jason's face. “Um, yeah... about that...”

Cecil's eyes opened wide and his jaw dropped. Then he fell into laughter. Jason had to catch the mug. “Oh god.” The brunet wiped at his eyes. “All these years, nobody interested you enough to get into your pants, and now you spend a few months here and Nico charms you out of them that easily?” He shook his head with a grin. “Maybe I should have found him for you a long time ago.”

That would have been great, Jason thought to himself. He was still blushing, though he shook his head with a smile. “Don't tell Lee,” he mumbled. Cecil nodded with a smile. “We went to New Orleans for a weekend.” Jason couldn't help but smile at the memory. “It was really nice and amazing.”

“You're just so smitten.”

“I am pretty bad, right?”

Cecil was still smiling. “Yeah, but it's okay. No telling how many times you had to hear me go on about a girl.” He scratched at his brow and leaned back on his palms. “But I also like the rest of your friends and family. They seem nice. Not sure why everyone in town seems to have such a problem. Is it the money thing?”

There was no real explaining this. “No, it's not about our families owning everything,” Jason replied quietly. At least he did not have to worry about Cecil.

Giving Jason a friendly pat on the leg, Cecil rose to his feet and stretched. “Well, I hope they come around to their senses.” Picking up his mug, Cecil gave Jason a small salute. “I'm gonna crash. See ya in the morning, bro.”

A nod was Jason's response. He watched his friend go back inside before standing up himself. Unlike his friend, however, Jason had no intention of going to bed. Not yet, and probably not for several more hours. He had things that needed to be done.

So, Jason jogged down the steps and made his way across the grass before entering the woods. Flicking a finger out, Jason created a ball of light to illuminate his way as he walked towards the cemetery. His hands were buried deep in his jacket pockets to hide from the cold. His face, however, did not sting as bad as he thought it would. Ever since the ritual, things just didn't feel quite as cold as they used to.

Descending into the crypt, Jason offered a bit of his blood and entered the main room underground. There was a moment where he just stood there and stared at all the chairs in the room. Without everyone in here, the room was much darker. More ominous. Grunting, Jason went towards the library, only to stop. One look at the door reminded him of the problem with his plan.

He couldn't open the door.

Unlike most of his friends, Jason was not a First. He did not have access to the library without someone opening it for him. He just needed inside. Perhaps Jason could find something inside about the book that Circe was looking for. A book like that couldn't just vanish, could it? 

“Isn't it a little late for a late night read?”

Jason whipped around to find Annabeth staring at him curiously. He shrugged. “I could ask you the same.” He nodded to the door. “What brings you here? Malcolm said you've been locked up in the library for a few days now.”

“Ah.” Removing her necklace, Annabeth pressed it to the lock. Her face was so solemn as she watched the door slowly open. “I've just been doing some research. Circe is up to something, we all know that, but it would be wise to know what she has in store for all of us.”

“I can respect that.” Jason took the left side, while Annabeth took the right, and both of them ignited the first torch on their respective side. In a chain reaction, lights flickered alive all throughout the chamber. “Had any luck on how to stop her?”

A long sigh escaped Annabeth. “Not unless you have this object called the Dagger of Souls, or maybe this orb that an old text from Morgan le Fay, back when she was actually a friend to Merlin, references.” The blonde sighed again and sat down at a table that was already piled with books. “I'm trying to figure out how to kill her... again. Or at least remove her from your mother's body. If she can't inhabit a body, Circe will do considerably less damage.” The flames that flickered in Annabeth's eyes, the grim look, told Jason how poorly the search was going. “Nico or Hades could possibly do it, maybe with the right spell? I don't know. It's complicated.”

Jason let a finger run across the cover of the top book of one of the many piles surrounding Annabeth. “I think I'd prefer it if we didn't kill my mother as well.”

“I...” Even before Annabeth finished her sentence, Jason felt it in his gut what she was going to say. “I don't think we can save her, Jason. She was supposed to die that night.” Her lips tilted down. “You were as well. That is another mystery. Maybe... I suppose it's not entirely impossible, but I would not hope too much for that possibility.”

It stung, quite hard, to hear that. Jason poked around some of the books on the first shelf, mainly so Annabeth wouldn't see the pain in his eyes. He felt the burning sting of tears about to hit him. It was so strange to him. Up until the New Orleans trip, Jason had already made peace with losing his mother. But there she was. Only held to the brink of life by Circe's will, but still alive. Now Jason was faced with having to lose his mother a second time.

“Can you, um...” Taking in a breath, Jason motioned to the books. “Do you think there's anything I can find in here about Nico? Um, particularly about his condition with his soul being split.” Another breath. His eyes were burning. “Maybe some diaries of Tartarus? I'm looking for a particular book of his.”

Rubbing her head for a moment, Annabeth thought to herself. “Well,” she began, “most of Tartarus' private books would be kept at the di Angelo house. His grimoire included.” Not quite what he was looking for. “There are probably a few books that might interest you on the Nico situation, though.” She motioned down the room. “Tartarus used to come down here a lot, or so my mother says. Gaea even scolded him once or twice about taking so many books off the shelves and not putting them back. Even took one book out of the crypt.”

This caught Jason's attention. “Which book?”

“Oh. Uh...” Annabeth marked her page and got up from her table. “Follow me.”

They walked back for what felt like a good minute or two. How far back did this room really go? How could there be this many books? But they finally stopped and moved to the left. Between two shelves was a table that had been piled to the brim with books. Some thick, others small.

Sighing, Annabeth picked up one of the books. “It's possible that you might find what you're looking for in all this.” She shook her head as she stared at the messy pile. “Although, you might be better off with asking for one of his diaries.”

Doubtful. Nico already said that he could never find anything, not even in Tartarus' memories. This library had to contain his best chance at an answer. And Jason was determined to find it. No matter how long his search took. He would come down here every night and on the weekends if he had to. Whatever it took to fix Nico.

“I just hope you find what you're looking for,” Annabeth continued. She placed the book where she found it. “I know we all worry about Nico. Even his father came to mine about finding a way to reverse the curse.” They were good with curses and things, right? “My mother could never come up with a solution. Nico even came to me himself, a few years back, after a bad spell with him slipping too far.” Her lips were so tightly pursed when Jason looked up, they were nearly white. “It's not a curse, which is the problem. At least not from what I understand.”

“What is it then?”

“From what I understand, Tartarus weaved a spell into some sort of ritual.” That didn't sound so bad. Annabeth finally met Jason's eyes after all this time and said, “To undo it, we will need to know exactly what Tartarus did that day. Nico doesn't even know. Tartarus never seemed to write it down, not that anyone could ever find.” She let out a breath and gave a small nod. “It's been something that many of us have tried to figure out over the years.”

Nodding, Jason picked up the first book. Annabeth gave a weak smile, nodded, then headed back for her table. Maybe Jason's luck would be different. They had to break the curse, all of them. That included the one Tartarus cast on himself, the one Nico now had to bear.

The first book was irrelevant. So was the second. The third contained some theories on beyond the veil, but that was it. Then there was a book about souls, but it mostly talked about giving them up or trading them. Nothing on splitting a soul. This was going to be a long night.

After a good hour of skimming through books, Jason came across the first that he could not read. The text seemed to be Latin, if not older. A very Latin, if it was Latin at all. Parts seemed to even resemble hieroglyphics. An ancient language of sorts. He had never come across anything like it.

Not being able to make heads or tails of the book, Jason turned back to the first page in it. On the front were the first things that Jason actually recognized. Two symbols, weaved together like they belonged with one another. The old symbols for alpha and omega.

Pages were flipped back and forth. Jason wanted to make sense of it. The book very well had nothing to do with his quest, but something this old had to contain useful knowledge. If not for him, perhaps with the Circe issue.

Nothing.

Towards the front, at the top of a page, was a tree painted across the page, but that was it. The words were beyond Jason to decipher. But perhaps...

“Annabeth!” Jason called out.

Thirty seconds later, Annabeth came around the corner. Jason shut the book and motioned to it. There had to be something she could tell Jason about the thing. Anything.

“Where did you find that?”

Jason indicated to the messy table. “Was piled with all the others. Tartarus marked a few pages, but I can't understand it.” He slid it over to the blonde. “Can you?”

A moment of silence, and then, “I'm sorry, but no.” She flipped more pages. “It's very old. I wonder if Tartarus could even read it. Seems like Latin, possibly even older.” Annabeth stood up straight again and frowned. “Perhaps Gaea could read it, but I am afraid I can't be of any help.”

Jason sighed and nodded. Back to square one then. He blew his lips as he let the pages fall. Annabeth shot a hand out to stop him from letting the cover fall shut. Her eyes narrowed at the front two symbols, the only two things that Jason had been able to distinguish.

“Do you know anything about that then?” Jason inquired.

Slowly, Annabeth nodded. “Yes.” She looked up at Jason with a frown. “Not sure what Tartarus wanted this book for.” She knocked the back of her knuckle against the page. “But, if you want to know about this symbol, you should talk to Gaea. It's religious. Well, more like an old superstition.”

“Right,” Jason muttered. He sighed and slid the book off the side. He would have to wait until Lee and Cecil left, but Jason was definitely going to ask about this book. What importance could it have held to Tartarus? “Thanks.”

Picking up his next book, Jason was about to start reading, when Annabeth grunted. He looked up at her in confusion. “I see you found that book,” the blonde witch muttered. “Figured Tartarus would be reading up on that.”

Jason looked down at the cover again. _A Study of Succubus and Incubi_. Interesting. There was that word again, the one that Gaea had used to insult Hyperion. “What are these things?” Jason asked. He shook his head in confusion. “I know stories revolving around Salem referred to these things possibly visiting people in their dreams. They're real? Aren't they demons? Are they nephilim?”

A dark look passed through Annabeth's gray eyes as she let her fingers move the book away from the two of them. “They are horrible. Vile creatures that have forgotten that they are even human.” Scooting out a chair, Annabeth set down next to Jason. “Nobody has told you about them?” Jason shook his head. “They used to be witches and warlocks, and any witch or warlock can become one. They are husks of what they once were, wretches that hide in the dark, feeding for power.”

“I heard Gaea use the term before,” Jason explained.

Annabeth nodded. “Their magic is twisted and dark.” Her lips tilted down as she stared at the light behind Jason, shivering a little. Even Jason felt cold. Like talking about these things sent shivers through his body. “There are several versions about how they came to be. Some even say they mated with nephilim, or that they attempted to enter the plane of existence that the nephilim inhabit. In that story, the nephilim gave them the power they desired and cast them back to our world. Some say they just got their power on their own. Very old and primal blood magic. Which is where they do draw their power.”

It definitely felt cold in the room. “Didn't we use blood magic to perform the ritual with myself, Percy, and Nico?”

“Blood was involved,” Annabeth agreed, “but it was not the same. Not all blood magic is dark and twisted. Our kind were the ones that figured out that cleaning blood could help people heal. Mortals later used the same method, but with leeches.” She placed her elbows on the table and laced her fingers together under her chin. “They are powerful and dangerous, though. I would suggest staying away from them. Mortals actually called them vampires. They need blood to use their magic, often draining their victims to keep blood to use later.” She shook her head. “It was the only time in history that our kind worked with witch hunters. We drove the incubi and succubi underground, and now they dwell in the shadows.”

So why was Tartarus reading about them? It didn't make sense. Or maybe it did. Jason probably didn't even know a percent of what was true or not within their magical world. He was out of his element in this pursuit. But he asked, “Have you ever met one? Ever one been around here?”

“You want to know why Tartarus was reading that?” Annabeth nodded at the book. Jason gave a nod. Sighing, the girl said, “He had his reasons, as I'm sure you'll figure out. There could be multiple reasons, really, once you know even a fragment of the man that Tartarus was.” She took in a long breath, waited a moment, then exhaled. “More to the question you asked: No, I have not met one personally.” A pause. “But there was one here years ago.”

Taking a moment to look at the book, Jason nodded. He would need to know more. Perhaps this was something to go on. “What happened to the incubus... or was it succubus?”

“Succubus,” Annabeth whispered. “Gaea banished her. She was too dangerous, from what I understand.” Her lips were pursed again as she stood up. “Try not to dwell here too long tonight, Jason. You do have your friends to entertain in the morning.”

“Right,” Jason breathed out as the girl went back to her books. Right, he thought to himself.

His mind was swirling with new information. His index finger tapped lightly on the cover of the book in front of him. This was good, right? It was a start. And Gaea could help him with the other book. Not to mention that he had just scratched the surface with all the books that Tartarus had been looking at. Somewhere in all this, there was an answer to helping Nico, and Jason would starve himself to death if it meant finding the answer. He leaned forward and blew out the candle by him.

Whatever it took.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a little longer than I've been writing. I had one other scene that I wanted to put in, but I felt it would be more natural to wait and put it in when Jason can get back to his lessons after his friends leave. Soon. And I have stuff I want to talk about with Nico. I got a comment or two on FF that I thought should be addressed. So, let me see about tackling all that.
> 
> First, comparing any of that stuff listed isn't fair at all. Because they aren't the same. Nico lying to Jason? About magic? I feel like it should be pretty implied that it's against actual law for witches and warlocks to disclose the existence of magic to mortals. So Nico literally couldn't tell Jason back at the start. Then, when Jason found out, Nico was willing to give him a chance with their secret. Taking a risk on both their parts. Because Jason could have been met with a poor fate if the adults found out. Remember, they didn't know Jason was a warlock back then.
> 
> He slept with Jason. Yes, with zero intention of backing out of the situation at the time it happened. It was pretty clear from Nico that he was willing to commit to a relationship back in New Orleans. He backed out because of what was going on. Circe was back, attacked Jason, and then they had the nephilim. The latter he could feel personally responsible for. Not many things in general, but you can't say they aren't a load of pressure on him. And he didn't lead Jason on, or give false hope. He just said not right now. That does not mean the following chapter they are happily together. It means later, when things have calmed down. Be patient and things like this chapter happens. 
> 
> So I get where you are coming from, if you feel this way, but I cannot agree with it. And given all this in response from things that have been put in the story already. Last chapter should have even been a giveaway that Nico is going to want to try again soon. But the most important thing to remember is they are cursed. And I don't mean the one over the whole coven. Remember, they share the same curse Tartarus and Kronos had. They will not always be in control of how they handle a situation. This was also pointed out by Percy. In the chapter that Percy had to explain that Nico wasn't mad at Jason for wanting to do the ritual, but because he didn't want to put Jason or Percy through it. Because it would be painful. Not for his own sake, but for those he cared about. I will say that Nico might not be your favorite character, if all this still holds true for how you feel, in the book. Because his character is going to be a little more secretive than Nico.
> 
> I just can't see why anyone would dislike Nico here, unless you dislike Nico in the books. Because, correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Nico do similar things. And I mean canon, not any fanmade views on Nico. I mean the boy that kept secret the existence of both camps from each other. The boy that stared Percy Jackson in the face and kept his identity a secret. The boy that only came to Percy about dipping in the river after he was sure everything would work. Nico, like I've written in this story, keeps his secrets and he plots. Now, yes, later, you will find plenty to be mad at Nico about keeping secret, but I would not say it is any of these things.
> 
> Speaking of the book, it's gone through some changes lately. Including numbers. Thirteen families will be reduced to nine. And I know that is scary, but I need it. Because you are never supposed to feel like magic is as common as it is here. I needed to cut people out. I'm not going to name anyone right now, but a lot of them can be identified by a lack of being in the story for quite a few chapters. Just remember that they will no longer be your PJO characters once it becomes a book. Some will also be merged with other characters. Families condensed. All the important people will remain. I also have all them named now, including surnames, so I'll probably be looking to work on touching up the first 17 chapters for editing and eventually publishing.
> 
> That's all for now. Sorry for once again writing a long note. Reviews are appreciated and I'll try to get around to actually replying to some now that I have more time on my hands. Until next time, when we'll see actual pettiness between Lee and Nico. Farewell!
> 
> PS: I also apologize for the flood of Yuri!!! On Ice posts on my tumblr if you follow me. I recently watched all the episodes, then caught the latest one this past Wednesday. I am trash now. I'm sure you know the two people to blame by now.


	25. A Child Too Special To Let Die

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little longer than expected on the update. Sorry about that. I'm sure it was expected with the holidays. I also had a friend make a surprise visit for the weekend. Everyone kept it from me. But I finally got the chapter done. I don't think there is anything to really address this chapter. Just know for those that asked for it, I hope you're happy with what you get and that you can live with what comes from it :)

New Year's Eve came too quickly, yet not soon enough. He hated that his friends would be leaving pretty soon. Jason also hated that Lee and Nico couldn't seem to get along, and it did nothing but drain the blond's patience. Nico had yet to say anything snarky to Lee, and Jason tried to remember that Lee was under the influence of the curse. But it just wouldn't seem to end.

At least there was a party tonight to distract Jason. The adults would be at Artemis' house doing their own magical thing. Something about an offering to the gods for the new Earth cycle. Normally, the younger ones in the group would tag along, but Jason had convinced the others to throw a party instead. Well, he had suggested doing something to entertain his friends while around Percy, and the other warlock had taken the opportunity to throw a party while their parents would be busy.

So Percy and the Stolls had been setting up Percy's house for a party. He wasn't sure what they were doing exactly, but there was a lot of laughter that came through the woods whenever Jason was outside. So long as they kept it normal. There was also the matter of the kissing tradition that Jason was looking forward to. Things seemed normal between him and Nico the last two days, so Jason had high hopes that the kiss would happen.

Not that he mentioned it to Lee.

It did become clear, however, what Percy and the twins had been up to once Jason, Lee, and Cecil arrived at his house. The pool was now enclosed in a building. The lights were on inside the newly constructed addition to the house, and most of the coven youth were already swimming.

“Jason!” Percy yelled as soon as the three entered. The green-eyed youth had a giant grin on his face and a red plastic cup in his hand. Jason needed to remember not to let either of his mortal friends go into a drinking contest with anyone currently here. Back on Christmas, Jason got to learn that witches and warlocks could drink about three times that of a mortal before they got intoxicated. “So glad you guys could make it.”

Even with it freezing outside, Percy stood there half naked with his trunks on, like it was a day at the beach. Well, it was heated inside. Percy, like Nico, didn't mind the cold. With water came ice, so swimming in the cold probably wouldn't have bothered the warlock.

Jason's blue eyes drifted across the room, following a particular blonde witch as she went into the other part of the house. His jaw shifted as he watched Annabeth disappear. There was a nagging sensation that had been lingering in his mind ever since he had talked to her in the crypt library. He just was not sure if he wanted to address the issue to her just yet. Because, if he was right, Annabeth had lied to him about that old book.

A long whistle escaped Cecil and Jason was forced to return his attention to his friend. Percy had moved on. Cecil, on the other hand, had his attention fixed on Reyna. The witch was seated at the edge of the pool with Nico. Jason smiled at the dark haired boy, his pale torso exposed. Nico reached over and took a cube of cheese from the plate Reyna was holding.

“Who is that?” Cecil asked, throwing an arm around Jason's shoulders. He was pointing at Reyna.

“That? That's Reyna.” Jason had to eye Cecil for a moment. His friend was blushing. Of course. A chuckle came from Jason's throat. “Good luck with that, man.”

“I'm gonna go talk to her.”

Before his friend could get away, Jason grabbed him by the back of his shirt. “When I said 'good luck', what I meant was that I wouldn't recommend it.” Jason chuckled again as his friend began to pout. “She would break you in half, dude.”

Lips tightly pursed, Cecil eyed the scene. “You think Nico could put a good word in for me?”

With a great sigh, Lee pushed in between the other two. “Not like you'll see her again. Or any girl here.” His eyes stared straight into Jason's. “I'm sure Jason will come to his senses soon enough and realize he needs to come back to California.”

Clarisse passed by with Silena and Beckendorf and snorted at that remark. Not that Lee noticed. Probably for the best, because Jason wanted to avoid as much drama as possible.

In came Drew and Mitchell, and Cecil's demeanor changed completely. One look from the girl and Cecil took a step behind his friends. The action made Drew smirk. Mitchell left his sister's side and went over to crouch behind Reyna and Nico, and took some food from the heavily loaded plate. When Nico turned to look at the brunet beside him, he caught sight of Jason. A small smile crossed his lips and he raised a hand in a wave. Blushing, Jason waved back.

An hour later, all three of them had taken a dip in the pool. While Lee was hesitant to make much talk with anyone, Cecil had no such qualms. Cecil got along quite well with Percy, Travis, and Connor. Just like Jason had feared. With Lee not wanting to talk with anyone else, however, it did not give Jason much time to talk with Nico. He was trying to keep the peace and wanted the two to stay apart.

Luckily, Jason did get a moment to talk to Percy while getting some food. “So, what's the deal with the indoor pool?” the blond asked, taking a bite of a sausage ball. Demeter had obliged to make them food for the night, under the guise from Percy that it would be a simple get together among friends. Not that Poseidon or Sally had believed their son, or any of the adults for that matter.

“Well,” Percy began as he loaded his own plate with food, “we weren't allowed to change the weather.” His famous grin spread across his lips. “Not like either of them have seen my house before. They just knew I had a pool. Never said it was normally an outdoor one.”

“Good point.” Maybe Jason had been more worried about his mortal friends being around the coven than he should have been. And at least Cecil liked them. He could call it a win. “So, do you think you could do me a favor?” His blue eyes went over to Lee, who was standing by the front door, waiting for Jason, so that they could go watch the twins shoot some fireworks. “You think you could help keep both of my friends distracted around midnight?”

Percy's entire face lit up with joy. “I can only imagine what you'd want to do around midnight that you would need Lee distracted for.” The other warlock took a baby carrot and stuck it in his mouth like a cigarette. “Have no fear, Percy is here. Well, I'll have some people take care of it.” Leaning in, Percy whispered to Jason. “Because, like you, I have my own kiss to get.” He clapped Jason on the shoulder as he walked away. “Best of luck with your plans.”

“Should I be worried for Cecil?” Lee asked as they walked outside. “Those two... Travis and Connor roped him into shooting the fireworks with him. I saw the boxes they took outside.” The boy let out a sigh and shoved his hands into his jacket. “Probably gonna lose an eyebrow.”

Jason held the plate out to his friend as they sat down on the grass. “You know, he's just having fun. You normally like to have fun.” His eyes lingered on his friend, eyeing him cautiously. “But you can't seem to unwind for some reason.”

“Hard to with all these people. I just think they're giving you a bad influence.”

Maybe it was best that Lee was returning to California. Until the curse was broken, his friend did not need to be around anyone in the coven. And that included Jason. One day, they would be able to be friends again. For now, though, Jason knew the best thing for both of them was to keep their distance. At least if he hoped to preserve any sort of friendship between them.

There was a distant cackle from Cecil right before some fireworks went off. Piper, Bianca, and Katie shrieked and jumped out of the way as one whizzed right for them. Lee did smile at Cecil having fun. Perhaps Jason could at least count that as a win. It was something.

“Standing here, you're liable to get your eyebrows scorched off,” came Nico's voice. It brought a smile to the boy's face when Jason jumped. Lee did not seem so pleased at the pale boy's presence. But it brought a warm feeling to Jason's chest. There Nico was, still wet, though now clothed. He had a towel to finish drying off his hair with. “I guess, if I stand here with you, I'll just have to use you as a shield.”

“Thanks,” Jason mumbled sarcastically, though there was no hiding the giant grin on his face. It was just the reaction that came from being able to look upon the form that was Nico di Angelo. “Hope you don't freeze out here.”

Nico shrugged and looked up as another firework shot into the sky. “Maybe it'll prevent me from getting burned, should one come this way.”

“Wouldn't want that,” mumbled Lee. Jason elbowed him for the comment. “What?” Lee huffed. “I'm sorry for hurting the feelings of the boy you feel like you have to date because you don't feel like you have any other options.”

That warm feeling in Jason bottomed out. Which was odd, since he could feel himself getting angry. Cold shot out from Jason's core. It almost reminded him of... Nico.

Oh.

One look at Jason told the blond everything he needed to know. There was a blank look on the other warlock's face. It didn't make any sense, really. Why would that bother Nico? It was just a stupid comment because of the small town. It wasn't like...

Jason felt his stomach sink. It wasn't like they were actually cursed to only be with each other, Jason was about to think. Oh. That was why Nico was upset. Because, even though he hadn't meant it that way, Lee had hit a sore spot with Nico. Nico's eyes fell upon Jason and the blond could read every thought. It was like he was sorry. Like he almost blamed himself for their situation. Jason was about to reach out for Nico, but the boy pulled away and headed back inside.

Shaking his head, Jason turned back to glare at Lee. “Did you really have to go and say that?” He let out a huff. “You're acting like an ass this week.” Yes, Jason knew why it was happening, but he also didn't like seeing Nico upset. Perhaps that was also because of the curse. Jason didn't care. “Just... How about we just go inside and watch a movie with some of the others?” He didn't add that it would keep Lee's mouth shut for a few hours. He wasn't sure if he could take much more offensive comments from his friend.

They only made it to the porch before Lee snapped. “I don't get why you're so defensive of a boy you have only known a few months, when you've known me for three years. Maybe those years didn't mean anything to you.” Jason silently opened the door, biting his tongue. Lee just clicked his tongue and stepped inside. “It's not like I was there for you when your parents died, or anything.”

A fire was building up inside of Jason. He could feel it, knew it would come out eventually, but for now he repressed it. Only two more days, Jason reminded himself. He probably wouldn't make it that long. They were gonna have it out, it was inevitable. And Jason just couldn't bring himself to care. This curse was ruining his friendship with Lee. He didn't need to take it out on his friend, since it really wasn't his fault, but it wasn't like Jason could go and fight the actual curse. Well, he could try to break it, but that wasn't gonna help matters at the moment.

He just needed to try and remember what Lee was like as a friend before all this, when Jason still had the curse repressed. Lee was nice, funny, and caring. He was competitive and talked a lot of shit to the enemy teams they played, and also had a habit of talking aggressively to his own teammates when they were doing bad. But never to Jason. Not even when they had broke up had Lee raised his voice to Jason. Never even spoken a hostile word. And now their friendship was coming apart at the seams.

After shutting the door, Jason caught a glimpse of Luke's head of blond hair as the warlock was going up the stairs. Odd, Jason thought, he hadn't seen Luke all night. Jason's lips tilted down and his eyes narrowed. Luke wouldn't have brought...

Nah, Jason was probably over thinking things.

Jason sat down on the couch, leaving several inches of space in between him and Lee. His friend didn't even look at Jason, just sat there with his arms crossed. The movie was already playing and Jason caught a few of the others glancing at him. It had to be obvious by now that things were not going so well between Jason and Lee. He saw plenty of sympathetic gazes over the past week. It made Jason wonder how many within the coven, ever since Salem, had lost friendships with mortals due to the curse.

The tension between Lee and Jason only continued to fest and simmer, until Nico silently entered the room and sat right next to Jason. Literally right next to him. No space between them. Nico was leaning into Jason, head on the blond's shoulder. And Jason could no longer move or think. They had literally had sex, and Nico still managed to reduce him to nothing with just a touch. Lee pretended not to notice, but his frown only increased.

It took Nico five minutes to decide that he wanted to curl up, which meant that his knees were in Jason's lap. He didn't even flinch when Jason draped an arm over him. This was perfect, like a dream. One that Jason did not want to wake up from. Unless Nico wanted to do this more often, then Jason would be completely fine with moving on with this moment.

Reaching across Jason, Nico took hold of Jason's hand and began to trace his fingers along the blond's palm. Jason's heart skipped a beat with every pattern the boy tried to trace. He also took a fascination in the lines on Jason's palms. Hera was supposed to teach him how to read palms at some point. Maybe there was something interesting laid out on Jason's hand for Nico to read. His hear fluttered up into his throat when Nico pulled Jason's hand to his lips and laid a kiss on the tip of his fingers.

As midnight drew near and the movie ended, the TV was changed over to watch the countdown. True to his word, Percy got Lee distracted. Indirectly. Of course, it could have also been the twins being their normal selves. Cecil and the twins came inside, all three of them looking like an explosion had gone off in their faces. Lee let out a curse and shot off the couch to probably go clean Cecil up. “Too many fireworks,” was all that the brunet mumbled before being dragged to the nearest bathroom.

Percy gave Jason a thumbs up when the blond turned back around. They were on the last minute, Nico was still standing beside him, and Jason's heart was threatening to burst from his chest. A small laugh from Nico nearly caused Jason to jump to the ceiling. The boy shook his head with a smile. “You look very nervous. Not sure why.” He was busy running his fingers through his hair to untangle his slightly damp hair. “It's not like I'm going to object to you kissing me.”

“Wouldn't be the first time.”

Nico nodded. “Fair.”

“Ten seconds!” Rachel shouted, loud enough so that the whole house could hear. She laughed as Percy helped to balance her and she took another drink of whatever she had been sipping on.

Nine. Jason's heart stopped. Eight. Nico turned towards him. Seven. Jason faced the other warlock. Six. A champagne bottle was popped to their right. Five. Nico's fingers were on Jason's face. Four. The blond warlock's hands found their way to Nico's waist. Three. He pulled Nico closer. Two. Clarisse shouted in the background and threw some poppers to the ground and caused a bang. One. Jason and Nico leaned in at the same time.

“Happy New Year!”

The world stopped spinning, but the room swirled. Time stood still in that brief second after the others shouted. It was a soft kiss, nothing too deep, but it took Jason's breath away. Nico's face was slightly flushed as he pulled away. His eyes caught sight of Percy, who had dipped Rachel back in a kiss, and shook his head.

Letting out a slow breath, Nico smiled and looked up at Jason. “So, I was thinking,” he began. “Maybe we should talk, perhaps somewhere more quiet.” Another slow breath. “I think I might l-”

“Of course you're still hovering about,” Lee assessed as he entered the room.

It was the first time that Jason had wanted to throttle his friend. Nico's smile vanished and a cold look appeared in his eyes. “What, like you haven't been been glued to his side all night? Or this whole week.”

“I am visiting.”

“And I'll still be here when you're gone back home.”

The corner of Lee's mouth twisted up in the beginnings of a snarl. “Well, for now. Jason will come to his senses and come back where he belongs.” The rest of the people in the room were starting to stare. “Back home to people that have longer than a few months.”

“Jason belongs here,” Nico shot back. “With his family. And we are his new friends. And I don't mean that badly towards Cecil, because I actually like him, but you-”

“Okay!” Percy said cheerfully. He was suddenly standing behind Nico and had the boy by the shoulders. Holding the boy by the top of his arms, to be precise. Ready to stop Nico from casting magic through waving his hand. “I think some of you could use some fresh air. So, if you want to fight, have it outside.” As he let Nico go, he shot the boy a look that said: I don't need you breaking anything in this house.

Nico bowed towards Lee and motioned towards the door. “After you, dick.”

Percy caught Jason before he could follow the two. “I don't know what's gotten into Nico, but try to keep him from making your friend a pile of ash. I don't think either of us want to explain that to the adults.”

Jason nodded and headed out the door. Unfortunately, he did know what had gotten under Nico's skin. Lee. Or, rather, what Lee had said earlier. The two were already at each other's throats when Jason got off the porch.

“I don't know what Jason sees in someone as creepy as you,” Lee snapped.

“Well, I can definitely see what he didn't like in you,” Nico fired back. That wasn't very fair, if Jason were being honest. Their curse did prevent that, so Jason would not know how he felt about anyone else until they broke it. “It's not like we are competing for Jason, you know. No, that would suggest that you even have a chance. And everyone here knows that you don't even have a sliver of a chance.”

“Nico,” Jason hissed.

Lee just rolled his eyes. “Stay out of it, Jason. I can take this kid.” It was not Nico's safety that Jason was worried about.

Nico should not be throwing that in Lee's face, especially when Lee didn't understand what Nico really meant. This fight should not even be happening. Lee was under the influence of a curse. It was technically their own fault that Lee was acting like this.

“I just don't get why you are so confident,” Lee continued with a sneer. “Oh, one hot guy likes the weird loner kid? Let's ring the fucking wedding bells then. Exactly how many other gay guys do you see around here for Jason to choose from.”

“Well,” Nico took in a breath. “There's Percy that's pansexual, Luke that's bi, Eros is... well he is just his own thing right now. Everyone, even Percy himself, knows that he is hot.” The boy gave a casual shrug and smirked. “I don't think you should talk, when you don't know my friends at all. But you certainly like to judge us without knowing us.”

There was a flame in Lee's eyes out in the cold newly January air. “I do know Jason.” A step towards Nico, fist clenched, jaw locked. “I can at least say I know him better than you.”

Without saying anything at first, Nico burst out laughing. He swiped a thumb across his lip and focused his attention back on an angry Lee. “Do you?” Nico asked with a raised brow.

In an instant, Lee was in Nico's face, his own full of rage. There was not a time that Jason could recall ever seeing his friend so angry. “You know what, you can just have Jason. For now at least.” Those eyes were like knives and his twisted smile like a predator. “May will be here before you know it. Jason will be done with school and going to college. Probably in a place that he can find someone that is actually a decent option. It might not be me, but I doubt it'll be you.” Nico didn't even flinch as Lee stood in his personal space. “But do you know where you'll be, Nico? Here, in this fucking backwards town, with its backwards people, and with your weird friends and family. You'll sit by your phone and hope that he remembers to call or text you every week or so.

“But then he will just move on forever. I don't see you moving on, not in a place like this. Not with these options,” Lee continued. “Thirty years are going to pass before you know it, and you'll be locked away in some hotel room with a married man's dick in your mouth. If it even takes that many years.” Lee took in a breath, hands shaking with rage. “You'll have to tell me what's it like to have yourself peak at sixteen.”

A pounding filled Jason's chest, his veins flowed with a burning cold. At his side, Nico was flexing his fingers. He did not move, did not open his mouth. Did not continue the fight. He even stood there in silence when Lee smirked in triumph and stepped back. Lee, however, did not take notice of the drop in temperature. It was already cold outside, why would he? Nor did Lee notice spirits rise from the grounds or step out of the woods. Mortals could not see things like that so easily, not without it being a haunting.

Something snapped in an instant within Nico's eyes and he lunged for Lee. Jason barely caught him around the waist and held the boy back. Lee just chuckled. “Don't want to upset your boyfriend, Nico, by getting your ass kicked.”

No, shut up, Jason wanted to tell Lee. His friend just needed to be quiet. It was definitely not Nico that Jason needed to worry about. “Just let it go,” Jason whispered into Nico's ear as the boy struggled in his arms. His skin was like sticking a hand in the water around Antarctica. Dread coursed through Jason, the feeling of death thick in the air. Nico had to calm down. “Nico, please. He doesn't mean what he's saying.”

It didn't matter. A low, raspy breath that sounded like the whispers of an old dead language came from Nico's mouth and he clenched an outstretched hand. As he was upon the stairs, Lee fell backwards with a hard thud and let out a low groan before laying completely still. Jason slowly let go of Nico and stared at the boy's hand. Within his clenched fist was a white wisp.

Jason ran and slid to Lee. There was no pulse, his lips were already blue. Nico had taken his soul. Disbelief was written all over Jason's face as he turned back to face Nico. It didn't seem like Nico was the one standing there at all. It was like Jason was looking at Tartarus himself. A darkness filled his eyes, darker than Jason had ever seen them. His veins were black and the air crackled black lightning around him. Nico's lips were dark and cracked like the earth. And he stood there, admiring the soul wisp in his hand, like he might devour it at any moment.

“Nico!” Rage shot out through Jason's whole body. He was off the ground in an instant and had taken hold of his clearly deranged friend. “What the hell are you doing? He said some hateful things under a curse, and you decide that's grounds to take his soul? Possibly kill him?”

“Maybe a mindless slave,” came the hiss of Nico's voice.

“Stop this and put it back. What has gotten into you? You're not acting like yourself at all.”

Like those words were the off switch, Nico's eyes returned to normal and his grip on Lee's soul loosened. His shoulders fell and his lips formed a thin line. Not wanting to meet Jason's gaze, the boy silently handed Lee's soul over to Jason. He didn't want to leave his friend without his soul for too long, so Jason pushed it inside Lee's body.

“You should go,” Jason whispered. Nico went to open his mouth and Jason had a surge of anger. “Go! I can't to talk to you right now.”

Pain flashed in Nico's eyes as he bowed his head and silently walked up the steps and entered Percy's house. As he waited, Jason just locked his jaw and tried not to look in the direction that Nico had gone. Nico had been so far out of line. Lee was in no way capable of fighting back against magic! Even if the things Lee had said had been harsh, which they had been, it did not justify this. He didn't even want to look at Nico right now. This was out of hand, and Jason was not currently sure how they were going to get past this.

The color soon returned to Lee's face and his fingers twitched. When his eyes opened, the boy arched a brow at the blond hovering over him. “What... happened?” His voice was a little groggy.

“You slipped and fell. Must have hit your head pretty hard.” Nice save, Jason. Thanks, Jason. The blond wiped a hand across his face as he let himself fall back on his ass. This night was exhausting. “How are you feeling?”

“Like shit,” Lee mumbled and sat up. He rubbed his chest with a wince. Thankfully, he didn't question things further. Unfortunately, he took one look around and said, “Where's your weirdo of a boyfriend?”

“Just...” A sigh came from Jason's mouth and he then growled. He was done with all this tonight. “I'm going inside. Go back to the house. Stay and try to have fun. Don't care. I just don't want to talk to either of you tonight.”

“But-”

“Goodbye, Lee,” Jason called as he was already walking inside.

Right now, Jason just needed to get his mind off things. Get his mind off those two. This night was ridiculous. So was this curse. It was about two seconds before Jason remembered that Luke kept disappearing upstairs, so that was where he headed. And he found the blond in Percy's room, where Leo was currently trying to teach Eros how to play video games. Well it looked like Jason had been wrong earlier, Luke would in fact bring the nephilim to the party.

He shook his head and stepped into the room. Luke sat at the head of the bed, legs propped up, while Leo and Eros sat at the foot of the bed. Then Hazel and Frank were on the floor, snickering every time that Eros failed a jump or got killed.

“But if I die, how come I come back?” Eros asked with a confusing look at his controller. “Is the character cursed to go through this for eternity, or until he succeeds at his quest?”

“Uh, no.” Leo pointed to a spot in the background on the TV. “Just run to that spot, so the insanity meter doesn't go up and crush your mind.”

“Is the lord of this place telepathic?”

“No, he's insane.”

Eros' eyes narrowed. “You wish to fight the mentally insane?” Jason had to snort at that. Leo had Eros playing Bloodborne, which he had watched the younger warlock and Percy play several times before. How they stood the frustrating game was beyond the blond's comprehension. “And what about the Cthulhu beast from earlier?”

“Her name is Amygdala, not Cthulhu,” Luke replied.

Eros fired back with, “Have you ever seen Cthulhu?” No reply came. “Well, then how would you know?”

“Wait,” Jason found himself talking, “Cthulhu exists?”

All eyes focused on the blond in the doorway, clearly not having noticed him before. Luke's eyes widened, like a kid getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Uh...” Luke began and shot to his feet. “Well, we don't exactly have all the gods documented for which ones exist. It is possible.”

“I don't think he would appreciate you saying things like that,” Eros said, already back on the game and killing a giant spider. “He can be sensitive, you know. But the thing from earlier was missing the tentacles.”

Frank decided to ask, “If you've met other gods, couldn't you just tell us which ones actually exist?”

Eros, thinking for a second, paused the game. “But you mortals don't even have names for all of them yet. Like I don't think some of them care to be known.” He gave a shrug and went back to his game. Not a care in the world was with this nephilim. “Plus, where would the fun in that be?”

There was a smile on Hazel's face as she leaned into Frank. “I feel like you enjoy tormenting us. Go figure from a nephilim, right?” That brought a wicked grin to the nephilim's face.

Pursing his lips, Luke moved over to Jason. “You're not mad that I brought him to the party, are you?” Luke glanced at the nephilim, who was already distracted by the game again. “He didn't really like being left out of the Winter Solstice party. Apparently they really like parties. He's been pretty well behaved tonight, though.”

“It's fine,” Jason assured him. “Believe me, I've had other concerns tonight.” With a groan, Jason pinched the bridge of his nose when Luke arched a brow. “Just... I don't really want to see or talk to Nico or Lee tonight. They're both being irritating. Lee said something to upset Nico, then said something else later after and Nico got into a verbal argument with him, and then Lee said something worse and Nico kind of snapped and used magic to remove Lee's soul.”

Luke's brow furrowed and he crossed his arms. Glancing over his shoulder, he made sure the others weren't listening. Mainly Hazel. “Is everything okay? Is he okay?” Why did that matter? Jason just really didn't care to find out right now. “He doesn't need to use dark magic like that, Jason.”

“Isn't most of his magic dark? Not the necromancy thing, just the thing with his eyes and stuff. He has a lot of dark in him.”

“And who do you think is to blame for that?” Luke let out a sigh and stepped out into the hall with Jason. “With Tartarus' magic, came his fragmented soul, right? Tartarus had a lot of corruption in him. He darkened his own soul. I'm sure you've realized by now that Tartarus wasn't the sweet and innocent boy that your grandfather probably makes him out to be.” Luke's lips tilted down as he slumped against the nearest wall. “He saved Nico's life by giving his own that day, but it also left Nico with that taint.”

Jason took a spot on the opposite wall. “What does that have to do with being concerned about how he uses his magic?”

“Stealing a soul? That's pretty dark magic.” A moment passed, where Luke just studied Jason's face. “You need to do some reading on dark magic, buddy.” Another pause. “Just forget it. I'm sure Percy has already found him. I'll talk to him later.” Letting out a sigh, Luke let his face soften. “I'm hoping that you'll cool off enough to talk to him eventually. Don't let this tear you apart.”

“I will,” Jason assured the other warlock. “Just not tonight. I can't tonight.” His electric blue eyes locked on to the side of the nephilim's face. “Can I talk to him? I wanted to ask him something.”

Another pause and then, “Hazel, Frank, Leo, clear out.”

With some grumbling on Leo's part, the three of them left the room and headed downstairs to the rest of the party. Jason and Luke reentered the room and Luke plopped down in his previous spot. When Eros didn't seem to acknowledge anything, the blond leaned forward and pulled the controller from the nephilim's hand and motioned to Jason when Eros turned around to glare.

“Hey,” Jason said quietly, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. “What exactly did Kronos and Gaea want when they came to talk to you the other day?”

“That?” Eros seemed confused. “I believe they were going to make an announcement at the next coven meeting. I'm to return to high school with the rest of you.” A smirk spread across his lips. Of course it was what he wanted. “We must keep up appearances, after all.”

“Which does beg the question,” Luke voiced. “How exactly did you fit in, yet you act so clueless about things?”

Those green eyes of Eros, which once seemed so innocent, watched the controller in Luke's hands like a cat about to pounce. It still felt strange to think about how that was no longer Jason's mortal friend. “It is one thing to know something exists, but something entirely different to know its purpose or what to do with it.” His head tilted just ever so slightly. “Observing humans for centuries can tell me how they behave, but how could I grasp their reasoning or things like that from just observing? Plus, you don't honestly think we spend all day long just watching you creatures, do you? We do have an actual job. We have to ferry the dead.”

“You tried to eat a can!” Luke pointed out.

The pout from Eros made it clear he did not like being made fun of for such things. “It had a picture of a food on it. Why do you humans seek to seal your food away so much? Are you afraid someone will steal it before you eat it?” He sighed wistfully at his game. “Also, food is very good, a shame we cannot appreciate such things as we normally are, but having a stomach truly does limit your ability to eat all the food you want.”

A look was shared between Jason and Luke. It also made Jason wonder if Eros—the nephilim—could get fat while trapped in a human body? Like human Eros had been skinny, and Eros had been eating all that food, so was he going to gain weight? With how things had been going with the nephilim, the blond could only imagine the shocked reaction that would follow if such a thing were possible.

“If you're returning to school,” Jason began, “what about your magic?”

“Bound,” was all that Eros said.

As he watched Eros' sad expression from his lack of video game, Jason was curious about something. If nephilim knew about gods that humans didn't, if they were above witches and warlocks on the power scale, didn't it stand to reason that they might know more about magic also?

Right before Luke could hand the controller back to an all too eager Eros, Jason posed the question, “Would anything come to mind if I asked you to think of something that could block out a curse?”

The controller seemingly forgotten, Eros got up with a grin and closed the distance between him and Jason. “Now you're asking the interesting questions.” With that, he swiped a hand across Jason's chest. Both of the warlocks in the room were surprised when a medallion appeared from thin air and fell to the ground. Had that been around his neck? Eros crouched down and picked it up, admiring it in his hand. “A nephilim's pendant. Quite handy, really. They can only be seen by nephilims and they weigh nothing.” It was not a second later that the jewelry turned to dust. “It ran out of juice, though.”

“Did you know it was there the whole time?” Luke asked.

With a shrug, letting the dust fall to the floor, Eros replied, “Well I am a nephilim.” He still had a grin plastered across his face as he sat down on the bed again, kicking his legs like a child. “Curses are very powerful forms of magic, not easy to overpowers. The pendants only have so much time before they get used up.” His eyebrow arched at Jason. “Just in case you were possibly wondering why it was three years after your parents were died that you had to be sent here.”

It was hard for Jason to take his eyes off of the now destroyed necklace. If it was nephilim magic, then a deal had to of been made with one. And that thought did not set well with the blond at all. He didn't like thinking about someone he cared about having to owe something to one of those things. The nephilim using Eros' body might be more tolerable now, but Jason would not forget what it had been like the night Nico had summoned it the first time.

It was Eros' voice that shattered Jason's thought. “It was Lupa.” Jason's eyes snapped up to the nephilim's face. “She made the deal, if you were wondering.” His smile was innocent, but Jason could see the almost feral look in his eyes. He was playing a game, he knew the answer. “Well, the second person to make a deal for you. Your parents also made a deal to keep the curse dampened.”

“And how do you know this?” Luke asked.

“Obviously, I'm the one that made the deals.”

“Tell me.” Jason was standing a little closer without realizing. His pulse had quickened, on the verge of answers. And Eros had known this whole time! Like enough had not been thrown at him tonight. “I need to know what happened. I was supposed to die that night, but I am obviously still here.”

Jumping up from the bed, Eros eagerly rubbed his hands together. “I always love this part.” There was a pout. “Although, you see the past all the time, so this isn't quite as fun.” Eros reached up and touched Jason's forehead and a spark of light ignited, sending Jason into a spiral of darkness.

“I can't get a pulse!”

Jason had to jump out of the way to prevent getting trampled by a gurney being rushed down the hall by two nurses and a doctor that was trying to give CPR to an unmoving, younger Jason. The warlock's younger body was rolled into a room, the door shut. The current Jason, however, was able to walk straight through it like a ghost. There was a lot of blood that covered younger Jason's body. One of the nurses ripped young Jason's shirt open as the doctor prepared for defibrillation. The sight of the bullet hole in the younger Jason's chest brought a feeling of irritation to the now healed wound on the current Jason's body.

“Clear!” the doctor yelled and the nurses moved away. Nothing. Jason's body spammed, but did not respond. Still no pulse. The doctor tried again. And again. Nothing worked.

They called the time of death just as Lupa came running around the corner and started pounding one the window of the door in tears. “Jason!” She screamed. “No!”

The doctor whispered something to one nurse as he covered Jason's body. The other nurse stepped outside, soon followed by the doctor, and they talked to Lupa the best they could. This Jason, however, could not move from beside his younger self's body. He was dead. How strange was this? Seeing his own dead body was not something he figured most people could claim they did. Perhaps it was for the best. There was just no words that Jason could find to explain how it felt to stare at his own corpse. He really had died.

“Poor thing,” the nurse that remained in the thing whispered with a sad look at Jason's covered body. “He was so young.”

A few moments later, the doctor opens the door and nods at the nurse. Lupa steps into the room with her hand over her mouth. With her eyes cast downwards, the nurse peels back the sheet and quietly stepped out of the room. “Take all the time you need,” the doctor whispered to Lupa before he too left.

Lupa slowly and unsteadily inched her way to stand over Jason's body. As he watched this, the current Jason tried to reach out and touch her, knowing it wouldn't work. He just wanted to let the woman know that he would be okay. He just didn't know what the price was just yet.

“Oh, Jason,” Lupa whispered as she ran her fingers through his hair, “I tried to tell your parents to go back to Louisiana. You might have been safe from the curse, but they weren't. Now I've lost you all.” Her other hand reached out to take the younger Jason's hand. Then something clicked in her head, something she had just said. “Oh. Maybe it's not over.”

She moved from the dead Jason's bedside to close the blinds on the door. A knife was removed from her purse and Lupa sliced open her palm. All around the bed, Lupa set to work on drawing old symbols, all of which were all too familiar to the current Jason. They were hard to forget. Fire was summoned in her hand and she threw it at the first rune. The circle of blood was lit aflame and the blood seared itself onto the floor.

In the room and all through the hall, possibly the entire hospital, lights flickered for a brief moment. When they settled, Lupa was no longer alone in the room with Jason's body. The nurse that had been standing with Jason was back, now sitting on the other side of the bed from Lupa.

“Well,” the nurse said, “looks like this one didn't have a good night.” She smirked and her eyes dilated and turned an almost golden yellow. “Lucky for you, I was just in the neighborhood to collect his parents.”

Without wasting a moment, Lupa said, “Bring him back. I want to make a deal.”

The nephilim bit down on the bright red lip that the nurse had. “Oh, I love it when you guys are all business.” It took in a deep breath and hopped off the bed before undoing the bun the nurse had put her hair in. “You're in luck, actually. I can make you a deal.” Lupa looked feral when the nephilim placed its hands on Jason's temples. “I can bring him back, or I can go retrieve his father. Only one, not both, and his mother is not up for discussion.”

Lupa was about to open her mouth, but the nephilim raised a finger to its lips and the witch's mouth clamped shut. Then it flicked its wrist and rolled out a contract so long that it hit the door across the room. An all too familiar looking contract, Jason might add.

“I know, I know. 'Why not Beryl?'” The nephilim's impression was like it had actually stolen her voice. “Well, that is for me to know and Jason here to find out in a few years... should you pick him. But let's be honest, we both know you're going to pick him.” Now there was an obnoxiously large feathered pen in the nephilim's hand. “As you know, my boss doesn't like this one's family very much, being immortals and all. So I can only give you one back.”

Lupa, glaring at the nephilim, took the pen and wrote Jason's name into a blank space at the top. It seared itself in a blood red ink and Lupa let out a hiss. There was now a deep cut on her arm. “I want him brought back, creature.”

Before Lupa could sign her name at the bottom, the nephilim grabbed her wrist and said, “Not just yet, deary.” The grin on the nurse's lips split open more and more with the passing seconds. “His parents made me a deal for him. I prevented that nasty curse from getting to him, and Jason here has been able to live his normal life. But that's over.” Holding out a hand, the nephilim showed Lupa a charred contract. “You see, this one fulfilled its purpose. Now, if I bring him back, Jason will have his magic, and all of his dear little friends will slowly start to turn on him.”

“What do you want?”

“Well now, you really are direct.” The nephilim crushed the old contract in its hand. “You see, when Jason was laying there dying, his other little half to the other curse... Well, he felt it.” Sitting on the bed, the nephilim ran its fingers up Jason's covered leg. Lupa looked ready to kill. “I'm afraid keeping the curse away is no longer an option.” It didn't look sorry. “I can, however, offer you a few years. When that time is over, you'll have to ship him off to his family.” Leaning in, it whispered, “I don't see Jason here taking it very well when he finds out he has magic and that you, and even his parents, lied to him his whole life.”

“Just tell me how long,” Lupa hissed, fingers wrapped tightly around the pen.

It took a moment for the nephilim to ponder it over. “Three years? I can seal Jason's magic away and give him his normal life in that time, but I'm afraid I can't keep the other curse out.” When he spoke next, he looked right at the current Jason and grinned. “Some things are just unavoidable.”

“Fine,” Lupa growled. She took the pen and wrote her name at the bottom. She didn't even flinch when the back of her shirt darkened with blood. When it was done, the nephilim rolled up the contract with a grin and sealed it. “Just bring him back and let me enjoy the next three years with him.

The nephilim nodded. It tossed the contract over its shoulder and it vanished into the wall. “Three years for him. Five for you.” Lupa's head snapped up. “You really should read the contract. Come now, you knew I had a price. His father made one. Betting he didn't bother to tell anyone that.” It tutted under its breath and trailed a nail across Jason's bare chest. “He didn't have much longer. Souls never last more than ten years after a deal is made. Since I had to bring him back and now bind his magic again, I'll give you five years. That will give you plenty of time to say your goodbyes to him after he learns to the truth.”

When Lupa didn't move, the nephilim arched a brow and motioned towards the door. A dark looked past over Lupa's face before she took her leave. The nephilim circled the bed and raised its hands over the dead Jason's body.

“Come to see the show, deary?”

When Jason looked up, the nephilim was looking at him again. “You can- You can see me?”

It rolled his eyes like that was a stupid question. “Of course I can. I am one of the embodiments of death, and not even time can stop death.” Its head tilted back and looked the blond over. “You look angry.”

Looking down, Jason found his fists shaking. “It's just... you knew. This whole time.” He motioned to the door. “You even showed me Lupa's contract.”

“Did I?” The nephilim quirked a brow. “I might can see things that exist out of time, but I do not see the future. Perhaps I'm not the me that you should be upset with.” It took Jason a moment to recover from that comment. But he still made to lunge forward. He didn't move very far, but he still tried. The nephilim didn't even budge, but Jason was flung back against the wall. “I can only gather we meet in the future, yet you don't seem to be afraid of me.” It walked closer to Jason and got close enough to peer into the depths of Jason's blue eyes. “Interesting. So very interesting.”

“What's interesting is how I'm going to wring your neck when you let me go,” Jason growled, his eyes sparking with electricity.

“I see you get the fire from your aunt there.” With a raised finger, the nephilim stepped over to the bed again. It leaned over the younger Jason's body, opened his younger version's mouth, and breathed into it.

The younger Jason's body took in a sharp breath and electricity sparked all through his body. The force knocked over the nearby defibrillator, but it stopped in midair. Then fell another inch, and then froze again. This continued until the nephilim drew a circular line around Jason's neck, and then a pendant appeared. There was a lot of voices closing in on their room and the nephilim smiled.

“Time for you to return home,” was all it said.

Jason felt his body move again and he lunged for the nephilim. Everything changed with a surge through his vision. The next thing he knew, he was on top of Eros on the floor, with his hands clamped tight in Eros' shirt. Luke had jumped off the bed.

“I'll take it things didn't happen quite the way you thought they might have,” Eros said with the tilt of his head. Jason wanted to punch him, he really did. But when he raised his fist, all he saw was his friend's face. “You know, when I woke up in that water, I knew then that this was why you didn't look scared of me.”

With a growl, Jason dragged them both to their feet and shoved the nephilim against the wall. “Break the contract.” Eros smiled and went to raise a finger. Jason was done with discussing this. “Now!”

It didn't seem to bother Eros at all with how angry Jason was. He still smiled and said, “I knew that you'd be back for the contract.” Jason slammed the nephilim's head into the wall for that comment. “If you want to end that contract, I'm afraid you'll have to make a deal for it.”

“Deal?” Luke's brow furrowed and he worked to separate the two. Jason, reluctantly, released his grip on the nephilim's shirt. “What are you two talking about? Jason, what happened?”

“He...” Jason's eyes flared with anger and he ground out, “It made a deal with Lupa to bring me back. He knew, this whole time, what had happened to me. He knew that Lupa only has two years left now.”

“A year and a half,” Eros interjected.

Jason went to hit him, but Luke wouldn't let him. “You knew Circe had my mother, didn't you?” Jason yelled, his anger only growing at the innocent look on the nephilim's face. “That's why you wouldn't make a deal for her.”

“Yes,” Eros replied when Luke looked at him. His smile fell away. “I don't know what she wants, not exactly, but I know my bosses are worried about it.” His eyes returned to Jason. “That's why I was allowed to make a deal. She would have never let your father come back, but she would allow you.”

“She?” Jason asked, head spinning. He turned to Luke for clarification.

Luke, who still had his eyes trained on Eros, said, “He probably means the Triple Goddess. She's his big boss. He does ferrying for the others, but nephilim ultimately answer to the Triple Goddess.” His brows furrowed as he studied the nephilim further. “But why she would be willing to make a deal exclusively for you is beyond me. Probably beyond him. Whatever it is, must be big. Perhaps we should tell the coven.”

“Tomorrow,” Jason grunted and stepped away from the nephilim. Why did he open this door? He had come up here to help get his mind off things, but he had just made himself more angry. How much more fucked up was his life going to get? He wiped a hand across his mouth. “How do I break Lupa's contract?”

For a moment, the nephilim was silent, deep in thought. Then it grinned and said, “If you want the contract, you'll have to trade a life. Lupa's life for... Eros' father.” It was clear that Jason was going to make the deal. Lupa's life in exchange for letting the nephilim tear Eros' father apart? Fine. But the nephilim stopped him before Jason could agree. “But you have to do it, Jason Grace. He has to die... by your hand.”

“What?” Jason and Luke both exclaimed.

Smirking, the nephilim pushed itself off the wall, only to be put back by Luke. The blond had a frown on his face as he stared at the nephilim. “No. That's not fair at all.” He put a firm hand on Eros' chest when the nephilim tried to move. “The man is wretched, there is no doubt about that. I even agree that he deserves to pay for what he did to Eros, but Jason should not have to murder him. Break the deal and leave it at that.”

Honestly, Jason was surprised when there was no fire in the nephilim's eyes. No smirk, not even a toying stare. His shoulders just slumped and he frowned. “I can't. It's a binding contract.” He shook his head. “The deal was a life for a life. I can't just rip it up. So, it has to be a life for a life if you want the contract fulfilled.”

“Then take my life,” Jason offered without missing a beat.

Both Luke and Eros stared at him, unmoving. Then the nephilim regained it senses and shook its head. “No. Sorry, but no.” He finally was let free from the wall and Eros dusted himself off. “Unfortunately, the Triple Goddess will not issue a deal fulfilled in exchange for your life. Surprising, since she doesn't like your family, right?” He frowned more when Luke didn't look convinced. “I'm telling the truth. I swear! I don't know why, just that she took the contract for Jason's life and wrote in an addendum. Your life is not eligible for trade.”

Luke glanced at Jason. “What do you want to bet it has something to do with everything going on around here?”

“Circe?” Jason asked. Luke nodded.

“Yes,” Eros said. His lips tightened when both sets of blue eyes turned back on him. “I don't know details, just that whatever Circe is doing isn't good. I know that the Triple Goddess seems to think Jason relates to it.” With a huff, the nephilim sat back down on the bed and took the controller up again and went back to playing. “Whatever it is has to be big enough to worry a goddess like my boss, though.”

Great thing to learn, Jason thought bitterly. One look from Luke told Jason that the blond did not feel good about this piece of news either. Such a great start to the new year this was turning out to be!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Let's have Jason and Nico fight, and Jason not forgive Nico right away." I got you fam. In the future: "Wait, no, not like this!" Too late! Don't give me an idea if you aren't prepared to roll with it :D
> 
> So why might that frustrate you? Take a look back at the last thing Nico was going to say before Lee interrupted them after the kiss and tell me what it looked like Nico was going to say. Started with an "L". What a shame, I guess they can't get together quite yet. Hmm. Yes. A pity.
> 
> Anyways, on an actual serious note, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I actually had more planned for this chapter, but it got to be 17 pages and I just felt the chapter was finished with how it ended with the discovery with Eros. If anyone suspected him of dealing with Jason's family before, because of the contract he offered Jason chapters ago, good for you. Also, I mentioned before, but the series I'm making this into was supposed to be six books. Yeah, it's more like seven now. So the first book will end when Jason's character finds out he's a warlock. Basically, I just feel this change is necessary in order to make the changes I want to. I want to expand on a lot of things before all the magic happens. Nico and Jason's characters could use a little tweaking on the development of their relationship. Reworking characters to fill in gaps. I also want to give more time to mortal Eros, and give a better flow of Jason's character descending into the curse before he finds out about magic. Like I want the mortals to start disliking him for no obvious reason to him.
> 
> Just things like that. I'm sure you guys won't mind an expanded story. Yeah. So I'm gonna take a short break to do a little work on that. Plus I want to finish "Dream Thieves" and start on "Blue Lily, Lily, Blue". When I say break, it's probably not as long as it sounds. I'm trying to configure myself a better schedule for doing everything I need to. Like Carlee recently suggested to me that I spend some of my day time to outline my changes and slowly start to rewrite what I need to, and then spend my night time writing more of the fic. That way I can be done with at least the second book by the time I start trying to get this published.
> 
> Also, I might cut the book where book two of six was going to end. Which would now be the end of book three. The main reason being is that I don't want to get any further than that and cut you guys off midway through something big happening. And I feel like this spot would be a good place to end. And you'll all still be getting a fresh experience with the books as they come out. Plus I won't be able to keep going writing this if I do get it published, they just won't let me do it.
> 
> Sorry for the long note, yet again. I'll hopefully see you soon with another update. If you enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review down there and let me know your thoughts. Reviews are just a good way to know a scene I enjoyed writing went over well, and that others enjoyed it as much as I did. Anyways, I'm gonna go be productive with reading. See you all soon!
> 
> Follow me on tumblr to ask me things or keep up with when chapters will be released: xsonofhadesx
> 
> PS: I'll be traveling soon. It's my turn to visit CarleeAdison. So I'll be flying out to Austin, TX the first weekend in February. Late Christmas present and it'll be to celebrate my birthday, which is also in February. Get to fly from Memphis, TN(Probably super early in the morning). I think the flight I'm looking at hits Huston for like an hour? There will probably be pictures posted to tumblr.


	26. Sins of Our Grandfathers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with another chapter! A lot of reviews last chapter! Thank you all so much! I guess I did a good job? I know I still need to reply to a lot of them; I've just been busy getting ready for my Texas trip next weekend. I know one thing that I needed to answer was that I do not have an actual book title for this yet. I always procrastinate my titles, even for chapters, until everything else is basically done. So I wouldn't expect me to have a book title for this anytime soon. I don't think there was any major things I needed to point out from any of the reviews? I will say that every single person missed a very crucial detail last chapter and it honestly surprised me that nobody pointed it out. But maybe I did a good job of hiding it.

The holiday was at its end, and so was his friend's visit. Jason was both glad they came and relieved to see them go. He wanted more than anything to keep some trace of his old life with him, but it seemed more and more like that was going to be impossible. As he stood there, watching Cecil pack the rest of his things, Jason wondered if he would ever get to see his friends again.

The curse didn't seem to affect Cecil any, and that was good. But Jason's friendship with Lee was on a knife's edge. A delicate string that hung from the sharp point, and every fight was more weight being added to it. Lee and Jason had barely spoken since the party, and he had not even seen Nico since that night. He hadn't made an attempt to do so and Nico had apparently stayed inside his house.

Still crouched over and his back to Jason, Cecil softly said, “It was nice getting to come visit. Maybe you could come to California for spring break?” A smile was plastered across the brunet's face when he turned to get a look at Jason.

“Yeah. Maybe.” He wasn't sure what was going to happen. It was true that Jason did need to talk to his aunt at some point, and Jason would prefer to do it face-to-face. But going to California would just mean running into Lee again. Not necessarily, he supposed, but it wouldn't feel right to go back there and not see his friends. “Did you have fun?”

“Yeah!” As the smile melted away, Cecil arched his neck and looked out into the hall. “Sorry about Lee. I don't know what's gotten into him this past week.”

Jason did. And it sucked not being able to tell either of them why this was happening. It sucked that he might have to tell them that he might not ever see them again. It sucked knowing that there was a dead witch up to something around here, and that it was even possible that Jason might not live to graduation.

But it was for the best this way, with them not knowing.

Unfortunately, this did not help Jason.

After breakfast, the three of them got ready to go to the airport. Lee dropped his luggage into the trunk and shut it with a grunt. Cecil was already in the car, trying to find some music to listen to. As he was walking around the car, Lee muttered, “You're gonna be just as weird as the rest of them by the time we see you again.”

Things just slipped out before Jason could stop himself. “Yeah, because you haven't been an asshole this past week.” It was like word vomit. “You didn't even try to have a good time, just bitched and complained the whole time. And decided to insult my friends, who even opened up their homes to you.”

Cecil sunk down into his seat. Lee slammed his palm against the roof of the car. “You might as well have joined a cult, Jason! It's funny, you know. We've known you longer, but you go and jump to defend all of them.”

“Can you just... I don't know, leave me out of this,” Cecil mumbled with a frown.

“Yeah, don't drink Cecil into this,” Jason fired back. “He has not done anything wrong, and you're using him as a shield. He actually made an attempt to get to know them. And got along with Nico. You, on the other hand, did nothing but attack him this whole time.” Stop, Jason tried to tell himself. His anger was just boiling in him. Everything that had been happening for the past few months came tumbling out in the form of venomous words. “You didn't even want to get to know Gaea and Kronos, who let you stay in their home. You've been a lousy friends these past few days.”

A curtain was peeled back upstairs and Kronos was peering outside. He could probably hear them yelling. Hell, Percy could have probably heard them from his house.

Lee stomped around the car and poked a finger at Jason's chest. “Do you even really care about that kid? You haven't even texted him since the party. I thought that maybe, just maybe, you had gotten some sense into your thick skull.” Another shove to the chest. “But you're hopeless!”

“So are you,” Jason growled, shoving Lee back. “We've been broken up for a year now, yet you're still hung up on me. It's over, in case you haven't noticed. So stay out of my love life and let me find someone that actually makes me happy.” He didn't mean this. “It's just sad, really.”

He didn't even see it coming. The next thing that registered in Jason's head was a sharp pain in his jaw. He was on his back and Lee stood over him, fuming with anger. Jason was up in the next instant and Lee prepared another swing. As it came for him, Jason's senses fired into overload and his pupils briefly dilated.

The fist slowly made its way towards his face and Jason stepped to the side. It was seconds to him, but only a millisecond had gone by. And then Lee was stumbling forward with his miss and Jason instinctively brought his knee up to meet the boy's gut. Cecil was out of the car in the next instant as Lee rolled on the ground with a groan.

Glancing back at the house, Jason just found a swaying curtain. Great, he thought to himself as his adrenaline slowly subsided and he let his eyes return to Lee and Cecil. As Lee tried to get up with a growl, Cecil pushed against his shoulder to keep the boy on the ground.

“You two need to calm down,” their friend said. “This has been ridiculous. We came here to have a good week, and you two have done nothing but fight. And, honestly, Jason has a point, Lee.” That made Lee's jaw drop. “These people have done nothing to you, and you haven't been acting like yourself lately.” Then he turned on Jason. “But you shouldn't have hit him, Jason.” Then Cecil was back at Lee again. “And you shouldn't have either. You two have never had a physical fight before.”

There was the soft sound of footsteps behind him, and Jason refused to look up to meet his grandfather's eyes as the warlock stepped up beside him. “Is everything all right?” He asked calmly.

“We-” Jason began.

Lee cut him off. “He can take us back to the airport.” The boy was ripping himself away from Cecil and wiping an arm across his mouth. “We're done, Jason.”

Jason's brow furrowed as Lee pulled his luggage back out, pulled his hoodie over his shaved head, and stepped to the side. Cecil let out a sigh and got back to his feet, giving Jason a sad look. This was a disaster, Jason knew it, but he was also still fuming.

Before he could do anything, Kronos placed a hand on Jason's shoulder and said, “I can drive you two back to the airport.” He looked to Jason for an answer and the blond softly nodded, not looking up. Cecil's shoulders dropped and Lee just grunted his reply. “Very well,” Kronos sighed and unlocked his car.

Lee didn't even look at Jason again before climbing into the car. Cecil, on the other hand, came back over to Jason after loading up his bag and pulled the blond in for a hug. “Just give him some time, he will cool off. I know he didn't mean what he said.” Cecil didn't even know how true that statement probably was. “I'll miss you, buddy. I hope this won't be the last I will get to see you. Even if Lee doesn't want to talk to you again, I'm still your friend. Don't forget about me.”

With a sigh into the brunet's shoulder, Jason mumbled, “I could never forget about you, Cecil. And thank you for coming to visit. It meant a lot to me.” He let Cecil pull away with a sad smile. “I'll probably swing by California at some point. I have some things to talk over with my aunt, so I'll hit you up while I'm in the city.”

“For sure,” Cecil replied with a smile. Then he was turning around and walking over to the car.

Jason stood there as they drove away, and continued to stand there until they were long gone. Honestly, he had wished they had come earlier during the break, because now Jason just needed another break for his break. And school was already looming on the horizon in the next few days.

As Jason turned to go back inside, he let out a hiss and touched his lip. There was blood staining his fingertips when he pulled it back. To top off the cherry that was this morning, Jason still had lessons later today. He had missed a week's worth already, so he doubted any of the adults would take it easy on him. And then there was the coven meeting tonight, which everyone was expected to attend. Somehow, Jason had the feeling that he would be discussed, now with this new revelation that they had attained from the nephilim.

After some coffee and a shower, Jason found Gaea adjusting one of the paintings in the upstairs hallway. The waterfall in the painting began to flow on its own after her hands were removed. The two stared at it for a moment before Jason furrowed his brow. A weight came off Jason's shoulder in that moment, no longer having to worry about his friends finding out about anything.

“The curse will start to wear off once he is on the flight,” Gaea suddenly said.

With a small grunt, Jason checked his phone. He still had some time before his lessons were to start. “Did Circe really have to die? Maybe if-”

“Don't try to overwhelm yourself with possibilities or 'what ifs'.” The woman took a step back, examined the painting, then tilted it to be perfect. A deer had wandered up in the painting and was having a drink at the bottom of the waterfall. “There's always more to the story, Jason, and the decision to kill Circe was more than her discovery of Kronos and Tartarus. People died and she risked exposure in her anger.”

Funny how she tried to play the victim whenever she spoke to Jason. When he looked at his great-grandmother again, something came to Jason. Gaea had been alive a long time, hadn't she? Around seven hundred years. Annabeth had pointed Jason to Gaea about the book, hadn't she? Then again, Annabeth herself should have known something with her pyschometry.

But here Jason was, asking Gaea, “I was doing some research on Circe, and I found this book. Maybe you could help me with it?” That had managed to catch Gaea's interest. “It was old and Annabeth said she couldn't even understand it.”

Without missing a beat, Gaea replied, “The coven will be taking care of Circe. Plans are already being made, if you'll just wait until tonight.” Then she waved a hand to the ceiling and brought it to life again. “There is only one book that even comes to mind of which you described.” She shook her head. “Why would you be interested in that book?”

“I don't even know what it is.”

With a deep breath from Gaea, she motioned for them to walk, and they moved to sit down at the top of the stairs. “Stories always get created and passed down in all cultures. What you found is just that: a collection of stories. In this case, since the dawn of time. Because all cultures throughout time have stories that some have thought are related.” Raising her hand above her knee, Gaea summoned the very book they were talking about to her lap. Absentmindedly, she flipped through some of the pages. “Once upon a time, I knew the witch that compiled the stories that filled this book. To some she was a genius, and to others... crazed. She grew fascinated with the idea and belief that a greater power existed out there. A Creator, if you will.”

Jason's lips tilted down as he studied the book in Gaea's hands. “Marie mentioned something like that when we were in New Orleans.”

Gaea nodded and let her fingers trail across the cover. “That is one example.”

“So, you mean like God?” Jason inquired. “Is he real?”

“Not exactly?” She offered her descendant a sad smile and handed the book over to him to look at. “You're asking how things came to be. I'm sorry to say, but we have no more knowledge about what is real and what is myth than the mortals do. The reason the vast majority in our society do not worship this Creator is because we tend to believe in what we know.” Her eyes were on Jason, studying every inch of him, as he peered at page after page. None of the writing made any sense to him. “Faith? What is faith? What can I do with such a thing? Magic is belief. I have seen it, therefore I believe in it. Ours is not a religion in the same sense that mortals practice their religions.”

Until Jason had discovered magic and the gods of witchcraft, the blond had never given much thought to the creation of the universe. For the most part, he just went with the scientific answers. Which, in the case of the dinosaurs, was technically true. It also had to do with nephilim accidentally wiping them out for fun, as Eros decided to tell Jason one day. Or when they decided to flood the planet, so that they could “see how humans fared under water.” 

“We never found Atlantis after that,” Eros had said during that story.

“This is more of a history lesson, isn't it?” continued Gaea. An eyebrow raised above her hairline when Jason looked up at her. “Religion by mortals was established to give them hope, to believe in something, to give them meaning and purpose. We have a connection to our gods, we know how the balance of the afterlife works, though not what it entails. It all does make for a good story, though.”

“I just thought that maybe the Triple Goddess would have been your creator figure,” Jason admitted.

With a hum, Gaea said, “No one has ever asked her, nor has she ever desired to comment on it.”

There was a loud pop outside and Jason's face contorted into confusion. He got up, setting the book aside, and went to peer out the window. Kronos' car was back in its spot. Of course he would just use his magic to travel back after Lee and Cecil were dropped off.

When he let the curtain fall back into place, Jason frowned and looked back at his great-grandmother. “When I found that book, it was in a pile that Annabeth said Tartarus was looking through.” Nico's face flashed through Jason's mind, how dark and corrupted it looked the other night. It was frightening how eerily similar Nico truly looked to his grandfather in that moment that he was holding Lee's soul. “There was also a book about succubi and incubi, and I'm a little confused as to what they have to do with whatever it was he was researching.”

“What do you know about them?”

“I know that there was one around here, but you banished her,” Jason answered.

It was strange that the front door hadn't opened yet. As he waited for Gaea's answer, Jason peered out the window again. Kronos' car was still there, but the warlock was nowhere in sight.

Gaea's words managed to chill Jason's spine when they finally came out, freezing the boy in place. “It was Medea's mother.”

There was a pause, where Jason had to find a way to recover. He supposed that explained a lot with Medea herself, born to a succubus. “Hades had a sister?” the blond whispered. Gaea nodded. “And you banished her?”

“I banished Melinoe's mother as well.”

“Melinoe?”

Gaea gave a single nod. “That was the name of Medea's mother. I say 'was' because I have no idea if she is still alive or not.” Her fingers were trailing across the surface of the book next to her. “She has made no attempt to make contact with her daughter, so I can only imagine that she isn't.”

“And her mother?”

It was like Gaea had become lost within her own mind. Several moments passed, where Gaea just studied the book. Then she said, “It was a dark time in Tartarus' life. Melinoe was only the half sister to Hades and Pluto. With her, I felt it would help improve Tartarus' state if she was no longer in his life.” A sigh escaped her lips as she waved a hand and sent the book back to the crypt. “He did improve, though he was angry with me for a long time. But with all the darkness that he put upon his self, his soul was never truly able to revert back to what it was. And it took many, many years for him to even become a fragment of the warlock he was when I first laid eyes on him.”

So much had happened before he had come along, before he had even been born. With his dreams and the knowledge others slowly passed on to him, it was all becoming unraveled. Maybe the answer to the Circe problem, even the curses, could be found somewhere deep within.

He decided to ask, “Why did you banish Melinoe?”

“I made the decision after a long coven debate over the issue,” Gaea replied, standing to her feet. “We had a death in the coven three years ago, and one of our younger ones was attacked for witnessing it.” Jason's mind started running through everyone as soon as she said that. “Artemis' husband was killed by Melinoe.”

There was only one name that came to mind.

“Luke,” Jason whispered. Gaea nodded. His mind began to spin at this knew information. Luke's scar came from witnessing a murder? “Why did she spar Luke?”

“Probably to keep him quiet. He has never spoken about the incident. Refused to even testify when we were discussing Melinoe's banishment.”

Before he could ask anything further, the front door finally opened and then slammed. It was then followed by, “You do not seem to take a hint!” Kronos sounded angry. Jason and Gaea peered over the railing to find Kronos standing there with the witch that had shown up a few days ago. “Most people would take a hint, but you don't seem to get it through your head. Honestly, I have to wonder if there is more going on here!”

With a sigh and roll of her eyes, the woman said, “I do want to marry you. Why would anyone not want to marry the son of the most powerful witch alive? I imagine that more would want to marry your mother, if she weren't so terrifying.”

“Glad to see you again as well, Silene,” Gaea called from where she and Jason stood above them. Jason was surprised to find a martini glass in her hand. And by that he meant that he was not surprised at all. “Back again, are we? I have to wonder if your uncle has some other motives for sending you here.”

The woman named Silena quickly bowed as Gaea descended the stairs, her face flushed. “My apologies, Your Greatness.” She refused to look up as Gaea walked by her. “It was my uncle's idea, I swear. I meant no disrespect.”

“What is she talking about?” Jason clamped a hand over his mouth as soon as the words left his mouth.

Three heads turned to look up at Jason, who chuckled awkwardly and cleared his throat. The woman was looking at him as if he were an insect as Jason descended the stairs. “My uncle,” the woman began, finally taking her eyes off Jason, “feels a marriage would be a good way to keep an eye on things around here. And, if nothing else, my visit would let him have a good idea of what was happening.”

Kronos shared a look with his mother. Gaea stepped forward and poked a finger to Silene's forehead. The skin around the point began to turn ashy and yellow lines spread out across the woman's skin. “I believe your uncle has forgotten how things work, and he has apparently grown complacent in his position and my absence.” Pressing her nail into the girl's skin, Gaea pushed her back and Silene fell to the floor. Her skin slowly cleared up. “Tell Hyperion that if he tries anything like this again, I will be paying him a personal visit. Now then, I do believe it's time for you to leave.”

“Gaea, please don't-” She was cut off as Gaea waved her hand and Silene was blown away like dust in the wind.

Kronos crossed his arms and removed the martini glass from his mother's hand, downing what was in it and returning it to his mother. The glass slowly refilled. “This just keeps getting worse and worse.” No response came from Gaea. “Suggestions?”

As Gaea turned to leave the room, she said, “Perhaps we should work on making an offensive against Circe, instead of waiting for her to make a move.” She left the room, and Kronos and Jason shared a look. Then she called back, “It'll be discussed at the meeting tonight. Circe has caused us enough trouble.”

\---------------------------------

“Come on, just do it already,” whined Castor.

“You're slowing us down,” added Pollux.

Jason groaned as he stared at the cat in front of him, who just meowed in his face and jumped down to curl around Jason's leg. Not helping, the blond thought to himself. Castor and Pollux both stood on his right side, tapping their feet and huffing every few seconds. His family lessons had been going great the past few weeks, but the lessons with everyone else was another story. And now he was getting shown up by kids that were four years younger than him.

Artemis came up beside Jason and placed her hand on his shoulder with a warm smile. “It's okay, Jason, not everyone has the ability to bond with familiars.” She hummed and picked up the cat, stroking its back. “Or maybe you just need to find the right familiar.”

“What a noob,” Castor whispered to his brother. Artemis shot them both a look.

“Why don't you boys run on home,” the witch suggested to the boys. “The coven meeting will be soon, and I'm sure your mother will want you to eat beforehand.” As they scampered away, laughing to themselves, Artemis turned back to Jason. “Don't let them discourage you too much. Magic isn't easy, even if you're making good progress with your time magic. Your house magic will always be a lot easier to learn.”

“What about you?” Jason asked and received an odd look from Artemis for it. “I'm a little confused about your family, with you and your brother.” There was a lot that Jason did not know about half of the families in the coven. Hell, there was plenty to learn about just every family. “How did each of you become Head of House?”

“Oh!” Smiling, Artemis put the cat down and it dashed away and into the witch's house. “It was our parents. Both of them were Heads of House. Unfortunately, they were each only children. They, technically, were not supposed to get married, but they fell in love.” She shrugged and sat down on the porch. Jason chose to stand. “So, since they were both the last of their lines, they both became Heads of House. Now, my mother's line actually had more to them, but they were all killed off in the early 1900s. It was 1917, to be exact.”

1917... Why did that date stand out to Jason? It hurt his pride, as someone that loved history, to not come up with the answer. Well, it was around the time of the first World War. And he had heard that the twins descended from some sort of nobility. Which only left...

“You're descended from the Romanov dynasty?”

Artemis smiled a little and nodded, her hands gently laced together in her lap. My great-grandfather was actually brother to the first Tsar. Also his older brother. But Michel loved power and tried to kill my great-grandfather. After my great-grandfather left Russia, Michel had our family stricken from the history books.” It seemed like Anastasia was not the Romanov people needed to be searching for all this time. “Which worked out fine for us, since our side of the family was long forgotten by the time of the revolution.”

He wanted to ask why they didn't go back to Russia and maybe take back their birthright, but he didn't. Why would they? It all came back to their common problem. The curse on the coven. The people of Russia would hate them and try to kill them probably.

“You know,” Artemis began, “I'm surprised you haven't asked me about your sister?”

He didn't even hesitate. “I guess I would like to know why she is still in your house.” Jason didn't mean for it to sound rude or anything, but it probably did.

Luckily, Artemis didn't take it as such. “You know, I asked her several years ago if she wanted to go and stay with Kronos and Gaea. She chose not to. To be honest, I'm not sure why your parents just didn't leave her with them.” That didn't make any sense. Jason had been wondering why his parents just didn't bring Thalia with them. “They dropped her off one night, saying they'd be back to pick her up, and then just disappeared. Kronos searched intently for them, but your father did not want to be found.”

More questions and not enough answers. What else was new with Jason's life? That was all his existence was ever setting foot in Aimes. Perhaps only his parents would hold the answer to this new question, or maybe Lupa would. Yet another reason he needed to talk to Lupa.

\--------------------------

The coven meeting was the first time that Jason saw Nico since the party. It wasn't that Jason was trying to stare at Nico, he just couldn't help it. So he stood there—like all those that weren't Head of House or a First—staring at the boy that he was still angry with.

If it were possible, Nico looked even more tired than normal. On Nico's wrist was a dark bruise of a hand print and several scratches. He sat next to his father, leg tucked under himself and possibly the cause of the faint chill in the air. Earlier, Apollo—who apparently had to come in for the meeting—pointed out that Jason felt a little cold during their lesson. Jason hadn't even noticed.

When Nico's eyes darted up to meet Jason's, the blond looked away and rubbed his arm. He wasn't sure if he was ready to forgive Nico just yet, even with how much seeing him like this stung Jason's heart.

Gaea stood up and drew everyone's attention to her. With a clear of her throat, she said, “It seems that the High Coven has decided they need to keep an eye on us.” Several of the adults shifted in their seats. “The nephilim is now under control, but we still have Circe out there. She is biding her time, planning something against us. And, at this point, does not care about exposing us to the town. With the curse still in play, it would be detrimental to our survival for anyone to find out.” Her hands were laced together lightly in front of her. “If the High Coven knows something strange is happening here, it is only a matter time before witch hunters could be breathing down our necks.”

“Perhaps we should start mounting a defense plan, should any show up,” Athena suggested. A few of the adults nodded in agreement.

Ares let out a grunt. “Or we could just take them head on when they get here.” He grinned with a clenched fist. “We always run. Why not stand and fight?”

Apollo, who had slouched down in his chair and had his leg hanging over the side, let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. “It's not a question of if we can defend ourselves against them.” The blond warlock smirked when Ares growled at him. “It's a matter of exposing magic. Every encounter that any witch or warlock has ever had with the hunters always ends up threatening to expose magic.”

“My brother is right,” Artemis added. She regretted it immediately when Apollo let a huge grin split across his lips. “Unfortunately.” She motioned over to Athena. “We need a good defense plan. Something that will not draw any unwanted attention, should we have to defend ourselves. We are on a ley line of spiritual energy. We do not need to relocate.”

It was Poseidon that directed the discussion back to the matter at hand. “We need to focus on Circe.” Hades grunted, twisting the ring on his finger, and nodded. “She has been a thorn in our side for too long.” He then turned to Hades. “Any thoughts on how your father planned on fixing this?”

“I found a few of his notes,” Hades said, his dark gaze trained on his ring. “There are several artifacts that he listed that could destroy her.” Destroy? Like completely? She wouldn't even be in the afterlife? “Unfortunately,” Hades finally looked up and met Gaea's eyes, “they are all lost or destroyed. Over the years, mortals—specifically the witch hunters—have destroyed them. They didn't know what they were probably. Thanks to Annabeth,” he indicated at the blonde witch who sat beside her mother, “I know that two of these still exist. Or should. We have not real guarantee. Annabeth?”

“Right,” the girl whispered as she stood up. She had the book Jason had seen her studying the other night in her hands. “The only objects that can end Circe are an orb and a dagger. Unfortunately,” she began thumbing through the book, “the orb has not been seen since the days of King Arthur. Some scholars believe that Merlin might have had it destroyed. The other is the Dagger of Souls.” She looked up with a grim look on her face. “Unfortunately, no one has ever documented where it comes from, at least not in any text I've been looking over. It just pops up throughout history, and then disappears as mysteriously as it came.”

Gaea had sat back down and had a finger pressed against her lips. Wheels seemed to be turning in her head, trying to solve their problem with any knowledge she might have locked away inside her head. Jason had to wonder just how much she knew about things, having lived so long. He wondered what it would be like for him in a few hundred years, even after all those in this room had passed on. Save for Kronos and Gaea. A lump formed in Jason's throat and he frowned. Thinking about that, about losing his friends, wasn't comforting.

Even Nico would be gone.

Jason cleared his throat and looked at the boy he had just been thinking about. Nico had been listening to the adults debate the situation, but his eyes soon fluttered over to Jason, like he sensed the blond watching him. Jason did not look away this time. Looking into those dark eyes now, he couldn't find a trace of Tartarus inside of them. It was just Nico. It was just a frightened boy, who seemed afraid of himself more than anything.

“What about the nephilim, though,” Hera's voice broke through the discussion. “What is the update on it?”

Hermes sat up in his chair and laced his fingers in his lap. “He has been fairly well behaved, I must say. More than I expected.” He glanced at Gaea. “I see no reason we should not send him back to school. It would help not raise any further suspicion.”

“Right now,” Kronos voiced, “we don't not need any more than we already have.”

“Agreed,” nodded Gaea. She still looked like she was thinking over something in her mind. Although, she did not voice it. “The nephilim will go back to school, but he will return back to our care. His powers will remain bound.” Her finger tapped lightly against her lips as her brow furrowed. “I would like the adults and the Firsts to work on preparing a defense, should any witch hunter show up. We also need defense plans for whatever Circe could possibly throw at us. That will be the objective for all of you.” Her eyes focused to where most of the younger ones were standing. “I need one or two of you to volunteer to do some research. We need one or both of those objects Annabeth listed to be found.”

There was a long silence that followed. Nobody wanted to volunteer right away. Jason did want to, but he was still new to all of this. There was so much that he did not know about... well, about everything. Right now, the best thing Jason could do to prepare for the coming storm was to keep going with his lessons and try to catch up the best he could.

Then, quietly, “I can do that.” It was Malcolm. His face flushed from all the attention he suddenly got. “I might... uh, need some help. The library down here is rather huge.”

“If it would be all right with the coven,” Frank piped up, “Reyna may be better suited to help with the defense plans.” The girl in question raised a brow at him. Ares did not object, though. “While she is handling that, I could assist Malcolm with his research.”

Gaea waited for Ares to say anything, but the man didn't. His eyes kept darting back and forth between Frank and Reyna. When nothing further was said, Gaea replied, “Very well. Frank and Malcolm will tackle the research that we need. Report anything you find as soon as you do.” Both boys nodded. “When we have some form of answers, we will meet again to discuss a plan of attack.”

When the meeting was over and they were on their way out, Jason stopped Malcolm in the cemetery and pulled him off to the side. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Well you just did,” the other warlock replied with a smirk and an adjust of his glasses. Jason rolled his eyes and shook his head. Malcolm just chuckled. “Shoot.”

“It's about Annabeth,” Jason confessed. Maybe he should have gone to Annabeth herself about this, but he didn't know how she would respond. Maybe asking someone else would yield better results. “I asked her about this book. A very old book, which she said she couldn't read.”

“Maybe she couldn't.”

Jason tilted his head to the side. “Maybe. But we both know that your family has psychometry as their house magic. So,” Jason crossed his arms with a raised brow, “why couldn't she tell me something just by touching it?”

Malcolm let his eyes wander over to where Annabeth was leaving with Bianca. “Well, I do know which book you are talking about. It's not about touching it. At most, she can't decipher the language just by touching it. Everyone knows that is a book about the old religion. In the very old days, people worshiped it just like Christians worship their God today. That's not a secret.” The blond adjusted his glasses again. “She probably just didn't want to be wrong, not being able to come up with anything. There are plenty of objects out there in the world that our magic doesn't work on. Merlin even enchanted objects, so that people like my family could not decipher anything just by touching it.”

“She could have just said that,” Jason muttered.

Malcolm let out a chuckle. “Clearly you underestimate my cousin's need to always know the answer.” He smirked and began walking to the exit, only turning back to say, “The real question you should be asking is: Why was Tartarus looking at that book in the first place?”

Yeah...

Perhaps Malcolm had a point. Perhaps Jason had been looking at it all wrong. How did the book fit together with all those that Tartarus had picked out? If Annabeth couldn't help him, perhaps Eros could. The nephilim was the oldest thing there, predating even Gaea, and probably that book as well. If anyone could decipher it for Jason, it had to be him.

\-----------------------------

The next day, Jason stood in the middle of the foyer with Kronos following behind him. “It's just a few school supplied, I won't be gone long.” Jason reached for his keys and patted his pockets for his phone, which was there. “You don't need to worry so much.”

Kronos followed him to the door. “You know, you do have this ability to conjure what you need.” His arms crossed as he leaned against the frame.

“I could,” Jason supplied as he pushed the button to unlock his car, “but I would rather do it this way.”

Honestly, Jason just wanted some sense of normalcy in his life right now. And shopping for school supplied, while simple, was a way to do that. School would be starting again soon, which he was also thankful for. It did mean his days would be crammed full, though. With his lessons, there was no way Jason could balance playing sports on top of school. He was going to have to decline Hedge's offer to let him back on the team. Even if it did suck.

Like he could read Jason's mind, Kronos said, “You know, I know you want your old life back, but you're going to have to accept your heritage sooner or later.” Why couldn't he have both? “You're making good progress, though. Normally there would be no rush, but these aren't normal circumstances. I would feel better if you were capable of defending yourself when Circe decides to show her face again.”

“You mean show my mother's face again,” Jason muttered.

Kronos' lips became a thin line. “I am sorry about that.” He sighed and looked at the sundial in their driveway. “Just don't be gone too long, and perhaps ask someone to go with you?”

Instead of saying anything, Jason just tossed a wave over his shoulder as he descended the steps and headed for his car. He was content with just going into town by himself. After all, it was just going to be a quick trip to Walmart and then back home. It didn't seem like there should be anything to worry about.

As he was driving past some of the other houses, Jason came upon Reyna. He slowed down and rolled down his window. “Headed home?”

Reyna smiled. “Yes. Long day and it just started.” The girl massaged her neck. “We've been up for a few hours, trying to prepare some wards for the crypt. Even though we already have measures to keep out anyone not from our families, we added a few more measures.” Jason could already guess. “Now only one living can enter. Don't need Circe getting in. I think the others are going to start working on the houses.”

All the more reason to get away for a little bit. “Don't suppose you'd want to go into town with me?” the blond asked. Reyna arched an eyebrow. “Just want out of the house. Thought I would do some school supply shopping.”

It Reyna a moment, but she agreed to tag along. Their conversation started off light at first, asking about what the other would do after high school. Reyna didn't seem to know. They didn't really leave in this coven, not with the curse. When it came Jason's turn, he found himself just as unsure as Reyna. What did he want to do? Months ago, the answer would have been obvious. He would have said that he would leave the town and never look back. Get back home to California. But now? Now things had changed. Jason had changed. Lee had at least been right in that regard.

Jason asked about Reyna's parents. “My mother died in Iraq a few years ago. Ares and her both always loved to fight. I think Ares would have gone as well, but he has responsibilities here.” Reyna's eyes were staring at the trees out her window. “Even all the way over there, on the other side of the world, she died because of the curse. She did get shot fighting extremists, but it was her troop that left her to die. Apollo said that any doctor could have saved her, if they had just helped her get back.”

“Your father?”

“Never knew him,” Reyna confessed. “My mother never spoke about him, and Ares doesn't seem to have liked him.”

When they got to the store, Jason was displeased to find it mildly busy. The two got out and made their way inside. Since Jason didn't need anything major, they opted not to use a cart. At first it wasn't so bad. The greeter that had been there the last time Jason had been here with Nico smiled and offered them a shopping cart, but that was about the extent of it.

The people at the registers turned to give them dirty looks when their customers first noticed them. People hurried out of their way like Reyna and Jason carried the plague. His winter break had made him nearly forget what it had been like at the end of the school semester. When it started again, Jason had a full semester of this to look forward to.

But his friends had been dealing with this their whole lives.

“Seems that it was too good to last that all of you would stay locked up in your homes forever,” came Mrs. Dodds' voice. It was the first time that Jason had seen the woman since he had learned what he was. As he had found out, after the nephilim had left her body, it had screwed with her mind a lot and the woman had to be committed for a few weeks. “Jason, I knew when I first laid eyes on you that you would be trouble from this town. And here we find out that you come from those families as well.”

He had never liked Mrs. Dodds in the first place. Someone that could be so mean to someone like Demeter was not a good person in his books. Some dark part of his mind wished that Eros had left her with a permanent need to be in a mental institution.

“I'm just here to get some school supplies,” said Jason with a dull look and waving a thing of paper.

He wanted to remember that everyone in town was under a curse, but after Lee's visit it was rather hard. Still, it was a new light that he looked at them with from when he first got to town. Back then, Jason just thought of them as a town full of assholes. He did wonder what they might be like without the curse. Jason knew that most of them were decent whenever anyone from the coven wasn't involved in the discussion. If they broke this curse, would the town remember how they had acted this whole time?

It became obvious rather quickly that Jason and Reyna needed to hurry and get out. After Mrs. Dodds, the store manager had pulled them aside and asked if they were stealing anything. Even asked if they were planting hex bags in the store, perhaps to burn it down. The cashier barely even wanted to touch Jason's money after it had come in contact with him. He would need to ask Kronos about getting a debit card.

On the way back, it was Reyna that dictated the topic of their conversation. And she clearly had already thought of one before they even got back in the car. “Are you still mad at Nico?”

As Jason pulled out of the parking lot, he gave it some quick thought. He was and he wasn't. Some part of him would never truly be able to stay mad at Nico, and he knew that now. But it scared him a little at what he had witnessed at the party. But how could he voice that to one of Nico's best friend? How could he voice that to Nico?

“I guess I am,” Jason confessed. The sun shown down on them directly as they drove back home. It was the beginning of January, and Jason did not even need to wear a jacket outside. “It surprised me. There's still a lot that I don't understand, I know. If I asked, Nico would probably just tell me that it is complicated.” Reyna glanced over at him. “That seems to be the standard answer, even after finding out I'm a warlock.”

“I think,” Reyna began, “a lot of it is just that... it's a lot. I don't think any of us, at least us younger ones, know all there is to know about what went on before we were born.” She was tracing a nail against the window when Jason looked over at her. “Hell, even our parents probably don't know everything from their parents' time. I imagine the ones that know the most are Gaea, Kronos, and maybe Nico. But I know Nico doesn't like talking about what went on in Tartarus' life.” Their eyes met for a brief silence. “Just give him some time, don't pressure him, and I'm sure he will tell you eventually. I know that you are confused about a lot of this, and I know that Tartarus probably is the center of most of your questions.”

“I can't trust Kronos to give me an honest answer,” Jason admitted.

For a moment, Reyna just watched him. Then she turned her attention back to the trees, letting her head rest against the glass. “No. I don't imagine that you can. He was too blind to Tartarus, willing to ignore what was happening right in front of his face. Ares said once that Kronos left for several years, when he should have been here to deal with Tartarus.”

It was nice to hear someone else voice what Jason had been going over in his head. She was right, everything seemed to come back to Tartarus. He still didn't know what had caused the warlock to turn so dark, but Jason could imagine that it had something to do with that book that Circe wanted. All the more reason not to let her get it.

And to keep that from happening, Jason needed to find it first.

“He didn't want to talk about what happened,” Reyna continued. Her eyes seemed concerned, almost motherly. “Percy was angry that night after the party. He pulled Nico aside and asked what happened, because someone had clearly upset Nico. But Nico wouldn't tell him.” She gave Jason a small smile when she looked at him. “Luke came downstairs when most of the people were gone and found me and Percy talking with Nico. He was the one that had to tell Percy what had happened.”

“You all care a lot about him.”

I know that even now you probably feel like an outsider to our group, but you'll get there.” She didn't have pity in her eyes when she said this, just... sadness. “Give it time. After he lost his mother, Nico refused to talk to anyone. There was almost a month where he didn't utter a word. His father tried everything and I don't think I have ever seen Hades in such a state of panic. Not to mention that he was dealing with his own grief. But Nico wouldn't even talk to Bianca, which was saying something. Hazel was upset that Nico wouldn't talk to her either.

“I just looked after him. I didn't ask him to talk to him, didn't expect him to. I stayed over a lot, making sure he ate. Luke and I both did. As you have probably seen, Luke still takes it upon himself to make sure that Nico stays healthy. Percy was different.” Reyna looked down at her lap for a moment when she said this. “Percy has always been like a brother to Nico. They bicker and argue, but they were raised together and are closer than some would think just by looking at them.”

“You didn't mention Percy, though, when talking about taking care of Nico.”

She nodded as they pulled onto the old road that led to their homes. “Percy said he didn't know what to do. Then you died, or were supposed to. This was so soon after losing his mother and we had just gotten him talking again, then he was devastated. Someone he had never even met just taken from him.” Jason didn't know. He wondered if Nico had spent nights upset that Jason had died, thinking they would never meet. “Percy was the one that got him to laugh for the first time after all that. Then, after Nico's failed dating attempt with Alabaster, Percy also broke the guy's nose and gave Apollo a black eye. My only regret was that he beat me to it.”

When they arrived at Reyna's house, Jason decided to ask, “Why did you ask me if I was still mad at Nico?”

Smiling, Reyna reached for the door handle. “Because, if you weren't too mad, I was going to tell Nico to come and talk to you. I think he wants to apologize.” Before she got out, she turned back to give him a serious look. “Just go easy on him.” She let out a sigh with her head lowered, contemplating over something. “Maybe you should know.”

“Know what?”

“Luke spoke to you a little about succubi and incubi the other night?” Reyna asked and Jason gave a nod. She hummed in acknowledgment. “How do you think incubi and succubi are born, Jason?” He didn't know. “Dark magic. They become corrupted, their blood taints, and they seek more power. They become addicted by their own power, and eventually the only way they can use their magic—use that power—is by taking the life of someone else and using that life force to fuel their needs. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?”

There was a sick feeling rising in the pit of Jason's stomach. He didn't want to say it, didn't even want to admit it. But Reyna's words made it all too real, and Jason did understand what Luke had been trying to tell him. “I-” His lips pursed and Jason tried to swallow the bile that he could feel rising inside of him. Why didn't he know all this the other night? Part of him felt disgusted with himself for how he had spoken to Nico, and the other part made him afraid of what it meant. “Just say it. I need to hear it out loud.”

“Tartarus was already decaying into a incubus when he gave his life.”

Hours passed by after he dropped Reyna off, and Jason felt like a ghost witnessing the world carry on around him. He didn't speak. When he didn't seem to want to talk, Kronos had sighed and informed Jason that his lessons would be canceled for the day. Thankfully, his grandfather did not ask what was bothering Jason.

The blond just laid there on his bed, his right ankle resting against his other knee, as he stared up at the top of the canopy bed in deep thought. His mind wouldn't stop going over what Reyna had told him earlier. Was Nico going to become an incubus? Could he stop it from happening? Those were just a few of the thousands of questions that had been racing through Jason's mind.

Perhaps that was something else to add to his list of things Jason needed to fix. It just felt like more and more was weighing down on him. _Maybe because you keep putting these burdens on yourself_ , Jason thought. But everyone else seemed almost complacent in accepting their fate to this curse and the actions of those in the past, and Jason just wasn't.

Jason's eyes focused on the space in front of his mouth and he exhaled. He could see his breath and it became obvious to him that the room felt colder. Shooting up, Jason looked around the room until he found the source.

Nico stood quietly in the corner of the room, away from the windows. Darkness seemed to radiate off of him, but yet every inch of his body looked soft and gentle. “I didn't mean to-” Nico bit his lip. He wouldn't look at Jason, but the blond could still see the look of panic in his eyes. “I can come back if-”

“Stay,” Jason commanded before Nico could flee. Those dark eyes met with Jason's and the blond felt like ice would start coming out of his eye sockets. “Reyna told me... about you. About Tartarus.” He tried his best to keep his voice calm. He didn't want Nico to bolt for any reason. “Why didn't you just tell me?”

“You think I even want to admit it to myself,” came Nico's reply without missing a beat. “I...” The boy took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “There are days where I'm not sure if I want to be thankful or wish I were dead because of what Tartarus gave me. My soul became tainted because of his. Do you see now why I don't like talking about him?”

“You resent him.”

Slowly, Nico nodded. He didn't move from where he stood, even when Jason motioned to the spot beside him. When he spoke again, he seemed almost out of breath, borderline hysterical. “And I can't do anything about it. I can't remove it. There isn't a way to without killing me. And, you know, I've really considered that option.”

“Nico,” Jason said sternly. He didn't want to hear Nico say anything of the sort. If Nico died, Jason would go to whatever afterlife there was and drag him back. It didn't matter if they were fighting or not. “You should have just told me.”

That came out a little harsher than Jason meant it to and Nico flinched.

“You don't seem to want to tell me anything, really,” Jason continued. His tongue pressed against the inside of his mouth and he looked off to the side. He could already feel his eyes burning and no longer able to look at the boy in front of him. “You twist words to avoid actually talking to me. I want to be there for you, I do, but you always seem to push me away. Like how am I supposed to even know if you like me?”

“You actually want to talk about feelings right now?” Nico shot back, his eyes no longer full of fear or sadness but fierce like a blade's tip. “I think the problems going on right now are a little bigger than you and I. Which is why I decided to pull away last time. Because it was my fault that the nephilim was loose. It's basically my problem that Circe is out there, and it's my problem that we are curse.” Jason shot him a look. “Might as well be, right? My grandfather isn't around and I have his fragmented soul inside me.”

“I'm at least trying to help you! Maybe you should let someone help take on the burden every now and then!”

“I figured you were a little too busy with Lee lately! You pretty much kept him at your side the whole time he was here!” Nico bit back.

Jason was on his feet. “Maybe because he was under the influence of the curse! And I haven't seen my friends since I came here!”

“Sorry that we had to go and ruin your life.”

They were closer now and Jason ground his teeth together. “Don't put those words in my mouth.” The door slammed in Jason's anger and he heard the windows rattle. “I never said anything of the sort.” His face felt hot and his blue eyes pierced straight into the abyss that Nico called eyes. “I have been trying to spend so much time with you ever since I got here, wanting to get closer to you, and you always push me away! So don't put this on me!”

The light flickered above them. “How was I supposed to know that you were a warlock?” Nico growled. “Let alone the warlock I was bound to! Did it ever occur to you that I thought that maybe you would start to hate us like the rest of the town? Why would I let myself get close to someone that could hate me after a few weeks? Why would I want to hurt myself for letting myself care for someone like that and have it ripped away?”

“Yet it didn't change anything after the fact!”

“Because we are cursed! I was afraid that we would just hurt each other the closer we got!” The bed slid an inch across the floor as Nico let his hands fall to his side. “I was scared! Scared that you were going to leave.” His eyes started to redden and he let his head fall. “That you would leave and I would never see you again. I was scared that, if we broke the curse, you wouldn't like me anymore and would want to go back to your old life.” A tear hit the floor. “I should have known, really, when I met you and felt something. Because I shouldn't have.” Raising an arm, Nico wiped it across his face and whispered, “I shouldn't be falling in love with you.”

Still letting his anger course through his body, Jason didn't hesitate as he said, “You can't just tell me any of this?” His mind started working over what it had just heard, but Jason's mouth kept going for him. “Does it really take us having a fight for you to say anything to me?” Then it hit him like a brick wall. “If you really-” His eyes widened and every once of anger fizzled from his body as he looked down at Nico's downcast head. Oh.

Nico had said...

Fuck.

His hands were hovering on either side of Nico's head and trembling. Holy shit. Nico's words kept playing over and over again in his head, and Jason was honestly okay with that. His eyes were wide. He just wished that he could get a word out, but his mouth kept floundering.

“I-” Jason tried to get out, but words were failing him. He let out a breath and said, “Nico, I'm not going anywhere. I wasn't planning on going back to California.” The boy looked up at him, a few tears still in his eyes. Jason's voice was softer now, but he still did not touch Nico. “My place is here now. I'm not going to leave you.”

“I just,” Nico whispered, “didn't think it would matter.” He stood there, wiping his eyes, and Jason felt his heart break. The blond couldn't stand not touching the boy and longer and pulled him in for a hug. “You can't beat a curse, Jason, and I don't know how to break it.”

“We will beat Circe. We will break it.”

“You sound so sure of this,” Nico mumbled into the blond's shoulder.

Jason couldn't help but smile as he sat them both on the bed. Nico's legs were draped across Jason's lap and the blond refused to let the dark haired boy too far from him. Nico curled himself against Jason's side and was clinging to his shirt.

“I can't stay away from you,” Nico admitted in a whisper that might not have even been meant for Jason's ears.

With his index finger, Jason tilted Nico's chin up so that the boy was looking at him. “I don't want you to. We will fix this.”

“You may not even want me after the curse is broken.”

“I don't think that's possible.” He brushed a strand of hair behind Nico's ear, their faces so close now. Jason's eyes lingered on Nico's lips. “I will always want you. If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm falling in love with you as well.”

Those words brought a smile to Nico's lips. The very lips that Jason was still staring at. Unable to help himself any longer, Jason leaned forward and sealed their lips with a kiss. Their eyes closed and Jason felt as if Nico was pouring every ounce of himself into their kiss. Jason could only hope that he was doing the same for Nico. He wanted Nico to know how much he meant to Jason.

When they broke apart, Jason rested his forehead against Nico's and whispered, “I promise you that we will work through this. But only if we work together.” He placed a small kiss to the boy's nose. “Talk to me. We need to communicate better. It's the only way.”

“You're right,” Nico whispered, wiping at his eyes. “I'm sorry. I promise to be more forthcoming with you.”

When they kissed again, it was like Nico was trying to set Jason's lips on fire. Their tongues met like two electric wires touching. Even though his shirt, Jason's skin was hyper aware of every touch that Nico made to his body. And every inch of Nico's face that Jason touched was like drowning in Nico's warmth. He needed more.

Nico pulled back, smiling, and put a finger to Jason's lips. “Go out with me,” Jason whispered, their lips a feather apart. Nico's breath was like a warm summer's breeze against his lips. “I want to be your boyfriend.”

Their lips ghosted over each other as Jason awaited Nico's answer. His heart was beating into overdrive inside of his chest. Nico pulled back and looked Jason in the eye and said four words that Jason had been waiting months to hear.

“I would love to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're all happy with this! I felt happy with it. Not just that they are finally together, but I felt pleased with how Jason described the kiss and everything turned out. I did not plan for that fight at the start either. Well, I didn't mean for it to be a physical fight. We will be seeing Cecil again soon? I am not sure when just yet, but Jason does plan on visiting his aunt for some answers.
> 
> Now, this will be where the story stays for a little bit. Which is why I said that I hope you're all happy with where it leaves off. Because, right now, my big priority is reading over the first 13 chapters and marking notes of what needs changing or deleted. I need to cut some scenes to make room for some new ones, because I plan to flesh out a lot of the chapters that make up the first book. I would definitely like to stretch out the part between where Jason learns about magic and when he discovers he is a warlock. In this, it's only a week. In the book, it might be more like a month. We will see. My goal is to add some mystery and fascination towards Nico by Jason, and Nico to feel rather intrigued by Jason.
> 
> But another reason that it might be a while is that, when I get back from Texas, I'm starting work on another fic. For any Voltron fans, I hope you'll check it out. As I said above, don't ask me a title yet. It'll be a Klance fic, because I am Klance trash. I have three short stories planned for Klance, and I might do a few one-shots as well. A few of those one-shots might be Otayuri from Yuri! On Ice. But I promise I will be back to this before you know it! I typically don't go more than a month without updating. Also my birthday is on the 16th! But I'm gonna go. If you follow me on tumblr, there's a chance you'll see plenty of photos from my trip to Austin. I will also be trapped in the Dallas airport for three hours, so we will see what that yields.
> 
> But let me know your thoughts on this fic! I mean, if any of you are still alive after that ending.


	27. Do You Want to Play Smite Tag?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am back. Texas was great. I would have had this out sooner, but a lot has been going on. I wrote the first chapter of my klance fic. So, if you ship that, the fic is called "Blue Shells and Comic Books". I am going to be changing the summary up, it is a little boring to look at. And I need to improve from the first chapter. Lance was not "extra" enough. Also, when I was leaving for Texas, I found out my cat was very sick. I ended up having to put him to sleep on Valentines Day, which was two days before my birthday. So I've been a little off lately.
> 
> I am hoping that there aren't so many errors this time around. I know I've been slacking on my editing, but I did go back and do a proofreading this time around. If there still are any(I'm sure there still are), then I apologize.

“We're dating.”

“Yes.”

“You're my boyfriend.”

Nico let out a sigh as he tapped on the steering wheel with one hand and massaged his temple with the other, waiting patiently for Jason to hurry up and shut the door. “Yes, Jason.” An eyebrow was raised in the blond's direction and Nico nodded to the passenger door. “If you could, would you shut that? We need to get to school.”

As color filled Jason's cheeks, he quickly shut the door. He couldn't stop gaping at Nico, though. “Sorry. I'm just happy.”

“Really? I couldn't tell,” Nico chuckled. His eyes drifted beyond Jason and the blond turned to see what was up. Eros was walking towards them, picking at his clothes and huffing as he adjusted his backpack strap every few steps. “How do you think he'll do?”

A long sigh drew forth from Jason's mouth as he watched the nephilim get frustrated with his clothes. Since Jason had time magic, it was going to be his duty to get Eros in and out of school every single day. No one needed to know that Eros was staying with the coven. That would be suspicion that they didn't need.

When Eros got in the backseat, Jason turned to ask him, “Why are you upset?”

“I am not fond of the choice in clothing that this human had,” was the answer. He pulled back on the collar of the shirt that Gaea had put on him that morning. Gaea had to do it, because the nephilim kept complaining that they were uncomfortable and had spent nearly an hour walking around the house in his underwear. Which was more of Jason's deceased friend's body that he had ever cared to see. “And he hated the clothes his parents gave him anyways.”

“That may be,” Nico began, “but it's how the town knows him. As if Jason's face wasn't hot enough a second ago, Nico then held his hand out for Jason to hold while they drove. Both of them smiled as their fingers laced together across the leather armrest. “Do you think you can manage to salvage your brain enough to get through today?”

That was directed at Jason. “I'll try to manage my best in Home Ec.”

“Why can't I talk to Luke in my science class?” Having leaned forward in his seat, Eros had a pout of his lips as he rested his hands on both seats. “I don't want to talk to those boring mortals.”

A questioning look crossed Nico's face as he stared at Jason. The blond smiled and whispered that he would explain later. “Because, it's just how Eros was.”

“It's not like I have to worry about anyone beating me,” the nephilim mumbled, his cheek now heavily planted on the passenger seat. “That bastard of a man is locked in a pocket dimension. Which could change, in exchange for a nice piece of paper.”

Nico didn't look confused this time. Luke must have filled him in on the details regarding the deal on Jason's life. He didn't say anything, though. Perhaps they would talk about it later. Maybe that would be for the best. Honestly, Jason needed some advice. What was he supposed to do? Would he let Lupa die, just to keep his hands clean? Or would he murder a horrible human being to save someone he loved?

Normally, people wouldn't hesitate to do something for anyone they cared about, but murder?

As they arrived at school, Jason held a stone that Kronos had given him that morning, crafted by Hephaestus. It was a rune to help him amplify his powers. Stopping time was tricky and required a lot of energy, and it was something that Jason could only do currently when he didn't mean to. And this was meant to focus his magic. So Jason rolled it around in his hands and watched as time slowly came to a stop.

But did he immediately get to work on unfreezing Eros, so he could get out of the car? Nope. He sat there and looked at Nico, admiring every inch of his features. The shape of his delicate jawline, the parts of his ears that poked out from his messy hair, his smaller nose, and his thin fingers that were gripping the wheel. Nico was beautiful. His neck was, sadly, hidden behind a turtleneck... which might have had to been worn due to a few marks that Jason had left the previous night. To be fair, Nico could have hidden them or made them go away.

“You know, it's kind of creepy to stare at someone when they are all frozen like that.”

Like an electric current just shot down his spine, Jason shot up and hit his head on the roof of the car. Eros was grinning at him when he turned around. He was grinning. And moving. And... not frozen.

“How?”

A shrug from the nephilim and a smile. “Immune, remember?” Right... Great. “Don't worry, I won't tell your boyfriend that you were being creepy.”

Before Jason could retort, Eros was out the door and tossing a wave back at Jason. The blond slumped in his chair with a groan. Way to look like a creeper, he thought to himself as he let time slowly start up again. When Nico was done looking in the back for Eros, he turned to Jason with an odd look.

“Why are you slumping in your seat?”

After they had parked, Jason reluctantly let go of Nico's hand so they could get out of the car. But not before giving his boyfriend—it was such a nice word—a kiss on the cheek. One thing Jason didn't miss over the break was all the strange looks that they got. He had been so busy with his magic lessons and then seeing to Lee and Cecil that Jason had barely been around any of the mortals that lived in town. If it wasn't for Lee and Cecil dropping by, Jason might have forgotten about this problem entirely.

Sure enough, though, Jason and Nico got plenty of looks of disgust from just about everyone they passed. Was there a point in hiding the fact that they were a couple now? Not like they weren't already disliked. So, as they walked to Nico's locker, Jason slipped his hand over and intertwined their fingers. Nico jerked away at first, but then looked up at Jason and let their fingers intertwine again.

A warm feeling bubbled up in Jason's chest as he rubbed his thumb across the side of Nico's, savoring the soft feeling and the warmth that came from it. It was always a bit of a relief to feel Nico and feel that the boy was warm. His own feeling of warmth dropped, however, when he caught sight of Dylan.

It was the first time he had seen the other boy since the nail incident. He had been out of school, had a few surgeries, and needed time to recover. Mellie had told Jason that the surgeons had pulled three more nails out of Dylan's throat, and they had caused severe damage to the boy's vocal cords and esophagus. Tammi was helping him with his things, when Dylan noticed them.

Tammi placed her arm on Dylan's when the boy looked like he was about ready to go over and fight Jason and Nico. So, instead, Dylan just mouthed that Jason was dead. Jason wasn't scared, but guilt did sink into the pit of his stomach. This was his fault. True the guy was being an asshole to Nico at the time, but mortals were not able to fight back. And as Jason had been finding out over break, some witches and warlocks would have rather died than cause harm to those that didn't mean what they did. People like Nico's mother.

“Why not at least defend themselves?” Jason had asked Kronos one night.

Kronos had replied, “Some in this coven see death as an escape from the curse. A way out. Some feel that if they do nothing, perhaps the people in the town would show them mercy. That one was from the early days, when people didn't know better.”

It was hard to think that some had grown so tired from the curse that they were willing to let themselves be killed to get away from it. Luke had told him that his own grandfather was one of those people, too consumed with their own guilt for what they had done to carry on. In fact, most of the coven from the Salem days had chosen to let themselves die than carry on to their final days. They blamed themselves for the curse being put on them.

Standing beside Nico's locker was Percy, who seemed to be ignoring all the distasteful looks he got from those that passed him. A grin split across his face as he took note of Jason and Nico's intertwined hands. “I'm so happy for you, buddy,” he said, ripping Nico from Jason and squeezing the boy in his arms. Nico looked ready to kill. “I told Luke and the others. Luke was so happy that I think he wants to throw you a party.”

“Why?” Nico groaned, prying himself from Percy's arms and straightening out his clothes. “I wanted to keep it quiet, and yet I made the mistake of telling you.”

Jason slung an arm around Nico's shoulders. “Well I'm happy.”

“I know.”

Both Percy and Jason grinned at each other, each of the boys giving each other a thumbs up while Nico was busy exchanging books from his locker. “Anyways,” Percy continued, “I just dropped by to check and see if the stone worked? Our nephilim got to school just fine?”

Shutting his locker, Nico let out a grunt, “You sound like a concerned parent. 'Our nephilim.'”

Choosing to ignore his boyfriend, Jason held out the rune and turned it over in his palm. “Worked just fine.” He smiled and pocketed it until he needed it at the end of the day. “I'll make sure to tell Leo to tell his father thanks for me.”

“Just think about all the cool-” Percy began.

Nico cut him off. “No.” He also ignored the pout from Percy and the amused look from Jason. “Do not use that for anything other than intended. Runes are not play things.”

“Not with that attitude.” Percy jumped over a kick that Nico sent his way before sticking out his tongue and jogging down the hall.

Taking Nico's hand in his again, Jason smiled. This got Nico's attention and a faint blush crept onto his cheeks. “Do you want me to walk you to class?” Jason asked.

“How can you even let words like that come out of your mouth?” Nico whispered, causing Jason to laugh. “I'll be fine.” His blush still had not vanished, and Jason took note that the boy started shifting his weight. “Um... you know, since our families are like they are, and don't really care about... certain things...” Jason arched a brow at Nico when the boy paused. “Do you want to, I don't know, come over for dinner and stay the night?”

How could Nico get on to him for saying things, when words like that came out of Nico's mouth? The two now wore matching red faces as they stood in the hallway, Nico fidgeting more and more as he waited for Jason's answer. Which he needed to give. Right.

Jason cleared his throat and smiled. “Of course. That would be great.” To create even more of a blush, he raised Nico's hands up to his lips and kissed the knuckles. “And you're sure your father won't mind?”

“My father is protective, but our families are pretty open about sex.” As if he realized what he just said, Nico covered his face, which had reached an all new level of red. “Not that we are going to have sex!” Several students looked in their direction. “I just... thought it would be nice if you slept over. Not that I object to... doing that other thing, as we have already... just that it wasn't my intention.”

After they parted ways, Jason headed in the direction of his first class. He was a few minutes early, yet as he sat down next to Annabeth and Malcolm, Mrs. Nakamura said in her best drone, “Nice of you to join us, Mr. Grace.”

She ignored the confused look on Jason's face and continued to write on the board. What the fuck? Why couldn't they just be home schooled?

\-------------------------------------------------

During lunch, Jason began to feel sorry for Eros as he tried to blend in with the mortals and couldn't sit with the rest of them. As Jason passed by, he heard Octavian as he said, “Don't you hate onions?”

Eros, already with a good portion of the burger in his mouth, let it fall out and pursed his lips. He stared down at the food with such sorrow. “Yes...” he said slowly.

Those green eyes drifted over to where the coven kids were eating, the look of a kicked puppy oozing from every inch of him. Jason gave him a sympathy wave. This wasn't going to be an easy semester. He also was not the only one watching Eros. Luke, the tip of a fry between his lips, stared back at the nephilim. And it was then that Jason realized it wasn't their table that the nephilim was focused on.

“Something on your mind?” Jason asked as he nudged Luke.

The boy's lips tilted down and so did the the fry. “I know he needs to blend in, but isn't it more risky to keep him around mortals?” Jason was not sure what went on at Luke's house during Lee and Cecil's stay, but Eros had been very reluctant to come back to Gaea's house. “What if they figure out he's not himself?”

As Luke looked away, Eros' shoulders slumped and he depressingly poked at his food. Letting out a sigh himself, Jason tried to distract himself with his own food, letting the fingers of his free hand slide across the top of Nico's. The boy glanced up at him, but didn't say anything. Which Jason was thankful for. He was not really sure how he felt about whatever was developing between Luke and the nephilim, but Jason also was not sure if Luke knew how he felt about it.

When the bell rang to signal the end of lunch, Jason fell in beside Luke as they walked to the only class they had together: History. Luke sat down in his desk and drifted off, staring outside the window. The sun outlined the warlock's scar for Jason from where he sat behind Luke.

“Can I-” Jason bit his tongue, but Luke was already turning around to look at him questioningly. “Do you mind if I ask you something?” He motioned to Luke's face. “It's about the scar.”

With a sigh, Luke said, “Shoot.”

“Well, I just...” It was hard not to stare at the scar, really. If it was magically inflicted, how much more painful could it have been than receiving it as what might be perceived as a normal way? “I'm sorry.”

The corners of Luke's mouth tilted up into a smile. “What do you have to be sorry for?”

“I mean, I just-” He let out a sigh and leaned forward in his desk, and Luke leaned back with a smirk. “Why didn't you testify against Medea's mother? You didn't say anything.”

“Ah.” Faster than it had come, Luke's smile was gone. His finger tapped lightly on the desk. “It's... I guess it's hard to explain. I don't really like talking about it.” There was something... almost angry in Luke's eyes as he stared out the window. Something hidden. “It's best left alone. What's done is done, and there is no point dwelling on the past.”

“I underst-”

Jason was cut off as his desk started to shake. The windows rattled, silence filled the classroom, and the power flickered. It sounded like roaring thunder outside, even though the sky was clear and sunny. But it was like an earthquake was happening. One of the panels fell from the ceiling and nearly hit the teacher. Cracks began to form on the windows as the shaking became worse and the trees outside were blowing so hard that they looked like they might uproot and fly into the window.

Screams overtook the classroom as the TV at the front of the room exploded. Finally having cracked too much, the windows shattered and flooded the classroom with glass. Luke had grabbed Jason just as panic overtook Jason and the glass froze an inch in front of his eye. He really wished he had worn his glasses today. As his hands shook, Jason tapped Luke and let him out of the time freeze.

He wasn't even phased. Luke just hissed, “Get down.”

The both of them fell over the side of their desks just as the shards of glass began to shake and the magic began to wear off. Pain shot through Jason's arm as time flowed again and adrenaline left his body. A shard of glass stuck out, just below his shoulder. While everyone was screaming and panicking, Luke swiftly ripped the shard out. Jason bit down on his lip and hissed. Luke shot him a look and covered the other warlock's arm, emitting a warmth. Slowly, the blood stopped flowing and Jason was left with a small scar.

From where he lay on the ground, Jason took in his surroundings. Most of the kids were out of their desks, either on the floor or helping someone that was hurt. The teacher was yelling orders, but Jason's ears were ringing from the explosion. There was a pool of blood not far from him and the teacher yelled for some of the students to get Kelli down to the nurse and to the hospital. There was a gash on her neck and two large pieces of glass sticking out from just under her ribs.

The teacher stepped out into the hall after them and yelled, “Don't pull the shards out!”

As Jason's hearing came back, the sounds of car alarms from the parking lot filled his ears. There was now students running in the halls. The teacher was yelling at them to form an orderly line and make an exit outside with the rest of the school.

Once outside, Jason found Nico and yanked him into his arms. “I'm fine,” Nico mumbled into the blond's shirt.

The trees around the school had either cracked down the middle or were threatening to tip over. The metal awning that led between each of the buildings had been dented and ripped down in places. The pavement and sidewalks were split open. It was like a bomb had gone off, on top of a tornado and earthquake hitting at the exact same time.

Ambulances had begun to arrive, loading up the injured and carrying them off to be treated at the hospital. Chiron announced that school was canceled, but that students had to wait until parents either came to get them or gave the clear for them to leave. And only after they waited another thirty minutes to make sure there wasn't going to be more... whatever had happened.

When it was finally clear for the coven kids to leave, Jason quickly froze time and let Eros climb into Nico's car as they drove by where all the students were huddled, waiting to leave. “What was that anyways?” Jason asked as he rubbed his new scar.

Instead of giving an answer, Nico just said, “Our parents want us to come look at something.” His eyes glanced to the rear view mirror. “The site of whatever this was.”

Nico drove them to the opposite side of town from where they lived. It was out a ways from the town, and trees had actually toppled over this close to the blast. As they got closer, they found a roadblock of unconscious police officers. They pulled up beside some of the adults' cars, a few of the others from school parked behind them.

It was a pasture, smoke rising heavily from its center. The adults were all gathered around a small slope, and it wasn't until Jason got closer that he realized that they were standing around a crater. Everything around it had been blasted outwards. The grass was all black and still in cinders. There was even cows that lay dead around the blast site. Every single tree around the crater had been uprooted and blown hundreds of feet away.

“This is just great,” Ares mumbled as he rubbed his chin. “As if we don't have enough going on that the High Coven already wants to watch us for.”

Athena was pacing around one side of the crater. She crouched down and let some of the dirt filter through her fingers. “I don't think it's the High Coven that we should be worried about drawing attention from this.” Her eyes met with Gaea's, though neither said anything further. They didn't need to.

“Hey!” Poseidon said, stepping to the side of the crater. “Stop!”

Jason peered over. Eros had slid down to the bottom and had was crouched down. His palm was flat to the ground. “There is something much worse than witch hunters or your High Coven that you should be concerned with.”

With a glare, Poseidon levitated the nephilim out of the crater and dropped him behind them. “And what would that be?”

In his hand, Eros held out some of the ground that he had picked up at the base of the crater. It was glass, fire seeming to be inside of it. Gaea stared at it for a moment before she took it without a word. She held it up to the sun and it was like the heavens opened up inside of it. Specs of gold and a rainbow were inside of it.

“Did it come looking for you?” she finally asked.

Slowly shaking his head, Eros said, “No, I don't think so.” Standing up and dusting his knees off, Eros pointed to the glass while looking at the others. “That's nephilim glass. It only is created when a nephilim enters your world without being summoned. Just like this explosion is from.”

A silence fell over the coven as they all stared between Eros and the nephilim glass. There was a nephilim now in Aimes? One that wasn't bound or had its magic dampened like the one in Eros' body. This was bad. Very bad. Nico squeezed Jason's hand.

Rachel was the first to speak. “It doesn't have a host yet?”

“No,” Eros replied. “Nephilim usually take a host to enter this plane. Otherwise,” he motioned to the crater, “you get things like this.”

Eyes became unfocused as Rachel crouched down to feel the ground. “It's looking for one. There is one suitable in town for it. I can't see who, but I don't think it has found it yet.” Rachel closed her eyes and stood back up. “I think that Hades might want to have his family on soul recon duty for the time being. It'll stay hidden probably.”

“She's right,” Gaea added. She was still looking at the glass. “Otherwise it would still be here, or have leveled the town. It isn't here for a game, and apparently isn't her for this nephilim.” She indicated towards Eros, who raised his brows. Gaea hummed. “Eros.”

This was just great, Jason thought to himself as he stared down into the crater. Not only did they have the High Coven watching them and witch hunters probably breathing down their necks, but now they had a fully powered nephilim wandering around Aimes. Like things weren't bad enough.

And, just to make the Jason's already great day worse, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Letting go of Nico's hand, Jason pulled the phone out and looked at the screen. What? Why was he calling? Jason pinched the bridge of his nose and picked up the phone.

“Lee? This really isn't-”

“Wait, please.” Lee's voice was much calmer than the last they spoke. “I really want to apologize for my behavior while we were visiting.” The curse must have worn off from being away from Jason. “I don't know what came over me.” Jason did. “I am really, really sorry, Jason. Can you tell Nico I'm sorry, too? I didn't mean the horrible things I said to him. I guess I was a little jealous.”

Rubbing his face, Jason tilted his head back. His eyes drifted over to Nico, who was busy examining the blast site. “Yeah, I can tell him. And thank you for calling.” He could already feel tension having settled in his shoulders. “It's been a pretty shitty day. And I'm glad we aren't fighting, because that really sucked. Let's just forget about it.” His eyes drifted to the adults, who were pushing and pulling their hands back and forth, slowly moving the ground back into place. “Hey, can we talk later? I am kind of in the middle something right now.”

“Yeah. And... I'm sorry again.”

Jason pocketed his phone and watched the adults work. “Lee said to tell you he was sorry,” he mumbled in Nico's ear.

The boy smiled a little. “I take it the curse wore off?” Jason nodded and Nico said, “That's good. Just... try to stay away from him until this curse is broken. Not to mention, right now, he might be in danger if you go near him.”

“I did want to go see Lupa about what I learned.”

“I know,” Nico whispered. “If you do, just pop in and see her. Try and avoid others.” He was chewing on his lip as Jason took his hand again. “This is bad, very bad.”

\--------------------------------------

Feet moved silently up the stairs. Tartarus pocketed a sleeping potion as he led the way in front of Kronos. Kronos stared down at a dagger in his hand, turning it over and over again. And the two came to a stop in front of a door that Jason had seen in the present day. It was the room that now belonged to Hades. The master bedroom.

“I could just freeze time. We didn't need to knock out your mother,” Kronos whispered as he tightened his grip on the dagger.

Tartarus hesitated at the doorknob. “I am not a coward.” He turned to look at Kronos with a fierce look in his eyes. “If I'm going to do this, I need him to be looking me in the eye.”

As they burst through the door, Tartarus' father Erebus shot up from where he was reading on the bed. Kronos held out a hand and sent the warlock to the ceiling and then to the wall beside the bed. The man growled and summoned several spirits to his side.

“Stop them,” Erebus commanded.

The ghosts came for them, shifting across the floor and rising to surround the two younger warlocks. But Tartarus didn't seem concerned. He even smiled. “Father,” Tartarus said, “you seem to have grown blind in your old age.” Erebus rose to his feet with a glare. “If you weren't so complacent, getting old and fat, then maybe you would have seen what's right in front of your eyes.”

“And what, _my son_ , is that?”

Tartarus raised a hand up to chin level. “That you are no longer in control of this family.”

Before the older warlock could even retort, the ghosts had moved back and were now holding Erebus down on his knees. But the man simply laughed. “What? You want my symbol of power? You think you are fit to lead this family? You think I'm just going to step down?”

“No.” Tartarus looked to Kronos, who held out the dagger. “But I am also not going to let you deny me of my birthright. I won't let you give mother another child, and I'm done being abused by you.” Erebus' eyes widened as his son plunged the dagger into his chest and twisted it. “But don't worry, I don't plan on letting all that power go to waste.”

Kronos' brow furrowed in confusion. Tartarus did not let go of the dagger. “Tartarus, what are-” Kronos let the words die in his mouth.

Life slowly began to drain from Erebus' body. It slowly began to wither and his skin turn ashy. A green aura flowed out of his body and ran up Tartarus' arm. Kronos tried to grab Tartarus and pull him back, but black lightning crackled between them the second Kronos even tried to touch Tartarus. And then Tartarus let go and the ancient-looking corpse that used to be Erebus crumpled over, some of him even becoming dust.

As Tartarus turned around, Kronos was met by a pair of pitch black eyes. And there was a look of confusion and shock that radiated from Kronos' own. It was as if he had never seen those eyes. And perhaps he hadn't. At least not yet.

“Tartarus,” Kronos whispered, staring between Tartarus and Erebus' corpse with a look of horror, “what have you done? We were just going to kill him.”

The darkness faded from Tartarus eyes as he made the dagger vanish. “His magic would have gone to waste. Killing a member of our own coven is just as forbidden as stealing their magic.” With a wave of his hand, the area around Erebus' chest caved in. The knife wound would be forever lost. “Are you going to tell your mother?”

“Like I told her to do with Circe?” Kronos replied indifferently. Tartarus shot him a cold look. “Why didn't you tell me you were going to do this?”

“If you didn't know, I figured you were less likely to be condemned if someone found out.”

“And I would have tried to stop you,” Kronos mumbled.

Tartarus was studying Kronos in an unreadable look. “That too.”

The room froze. Jason now found himself with his back pressed against the wall. His hands were shaking. He wanted to leave, but that was something he was still working on. But then there was a cold hand in his and Jason turned to find Nico standing beside him. “Wake up,” the other boy said.

And Jason did. He shot up in bed, Nico sitting up beside him. Nico pulled his legs to his chest as the covers fell to Jason's waist and the blond tried to calm his breathing. Reaching over, Jason turned on the lights and put on his glasses. Nico sat there patiently, waiting for Jason to say something, anything.

“I...” Jason began, feeling the back of his neck and wiping the sweat off. “I think I knew, or at least suspected.” Nico just blinked at him. Jason's eyes trailed along the exposed skin of Nico's back. “When we did the blood bond, I saw Erebus. I think I started wondering then, but I didn't think about the fact that he might have stolen Erebus' magic.”

“It's highly forbidden.” Nico's voice came just barely above a whisper. “There were a few sanctioned circumstances throughout the years, but only for extreme circumstances.” Nico let himself fall against Jason's side and the blond wrapped an arm around him. “I'm sorry I didn't tell you.”

“It's okay.” Jason let out a breath and laid back down. Nico didn't. For a moment, Jason just laid there and ran his fingers along Nico's soft back. “I can imagine not wanting to talk about something like that.” Plus Kronos had yet to mention it, and he had been there. With a grunt, Jason peeled back the covers, but laid there a moment and let Nico trail his fingers across the blond's abs. “I'm gonna go grab a glass of water. I'll be back in a second.”

As Jason descended the stairs, he heard the crackle of the fireplace coming from the living room. He shouldn't have gone snooping, Jason knew that, but it didn't seem like his legs agreed with him. So he crept his way over to the doorway and peered around the corner.

“Of course I am insulted,” hissed the fire that had taken the form of a woman. Hades stood in front of her, arms crossed over his chest. “Did you decide to call me at this hour, dear brother, just to insult me?”

“Just a precaution,” Hades replied, indifferent of what was just said.

So, if that was his sister... did that mean the woman in the fire was Medea's mother? Melinoe. The woman placed her hands on her hips with a huff, the arms of her nightgown billowed as she moved. “First you remain silent as I'm being accused of murder, and now you accuse me of working with Circe herself! And you deny me the right to see my daughter.”

If he was bothered by anything his sister was saying, Hades did not show it. “Well Luke was there and he was not willing to say anything, what good would my opinion do?” he replied. Melinoe was not impressed. “After our father, you know how the rest of them try to look at us. They want to find something wrong with all of us. I am surprised that some have not tried to banish my own son, knowing what they do about his birth.”

Melinoe leered at her brother. Maybe it was the fire, but Jason did not see the same darkness in her eyes that he saw in Medea's eyes. She just seemed jaded, angry at the world. At her family. At the coven. And it oozed out with every word from her.

“Yet you never once actually said the words to me that I wanted to hear. You were my big brother, and you never once told me what you thought. Silence speaks volumes, Hades.”

There was no anger from Hades, no annoyance. The way he spoke next almost reminded Jason of how the man spoke to Hazel. “I don't think you killed anyone.”

“Thank you.”

Like they were being sewn together, Jason's lips tightened and refused to move. A hand clamped down on his shoulder and dragged Jason backwards. He was shoved down the hall and into the kitchen, where the door was shut behind him and his assailant.

Staring back at him was Medea. Flexing his jaw and making sure his lips were now working, Jason frowned back at the witch. “What was that for?”

“What was that?” Medea retorted. Did this girl seriously wear anything other than black, even to sleep? “It's not nice to spy. Like my mother hasn't been through enough, especially from your family.”

Was Jason supposed to know what that meant? How was her mother's fate the fault of his family? And why blame Jason at all? He wasn't here when everything went down. Jason just rubbed his jaw, which his mouth still felt weird. This girl seriously needed to learn some chill... and a new wardrobe.

Pouring himself a glass of water, Jason tried to keep his voice even when he spoke. “I didn't mean to pry, I just heard something and went to take a look.” It did not look like Medea was happy with that answer. But, then again, when was she ever happy? “I just came down for some water.” Maybe he could try to be friendly? “I'm sorry about your mother.”

“Why don't you tell that to your family? Or, better yet, go tell that friend of yours Luke that he needs to grow some balls and tell everyone who really killed Artemis' husband.”

Right, not a friendly person.

Perhaps it was best to not indulge her in a fight. Jason just refilled his glass with water and left the room with a grunt. Medea, thankfully, did not follow him. Perhaps it was best. Anything out in the halls would likely be heard by Hades. Then again, it was possible that the ghosts of the house already told the warlock that Jason had been spying.

When he returned, Jason put his glass down on the nightstand and crawled back into bed. Nico was propped up against the headrest, watching Jason's every move. “Better?” he asked. Jason just smiled and pulled the other warlock closer to himself. Cuddling would make things better. “You look upset still.”

“Just... a long story.”

Nico smiled as the words left Jason's lips. “Fair enough. We used that on you plenty of times.” He sighed and wrapped his arms around Jason's knees that were pulled up towards his chest. “I should have told you about what Tartarus did. We said we would communicate better.” He sighed when Jason ran his fingers along Nico's jawline. “It's just part of Tartarus' past that I would like to forget. And it wasn't the last time that he did that.”

Jason slid down in the bed as Nico caused the lights to go out. Pulling Nico to him, Jason took in a deep breath, savoring in the smell that could only be Nico's. The boy hummed from where his head lay in the crook of Jason's neck, his arm resting in the center of Jason's chest. It was a little colder now, but Jason didn't mind. Perhaps a little worried. There was so much going on now, and it felt like the sky was about to come crashing down. All of it could wait until morning and when Jason had to get up. For now, this was all that mattered, being here with Nico. Just the two of them. If only everything else could be so simple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I hope the chapter was good. If it sucked, perhaps my head still isn't clear from my loss. So, about the title. Smite tag is something that came up in conversation between myself, CarleeAdison, and hetalianninja(HimekoUchia). Basically it's a game that nephilim play, which have resulted in some very unfortunate circumstance. I am actually debating including "diary entries" from our Sinneros. Stuff like Sodom and Gomorrah, or the assassination of Duke Ferdinand, or various other things that have occurred throughout history. Basically a game, not unlike regular tag... except they blast each other to tag the other playing. So, if I put them in the book, they'll probably be a small exert at the end for books 2-7.
> 
> On the topic of the books, I was informed that it may be best if I don't talk so much about the books or what I'm doing. Because things are always changing right now. So probably the final thing I'm going to say about it until I'm shipping it off to try and get published is that I am almost done figuring out what I need to change with the first book. From there I will be changing characters and fixing anything that was written down in the notes for changes.
> 
> For now, I'm going to probably go back and write a second chapter for the klance fic. Being told it wasn't up to my normal level just makes me want to write more and improve. Then I'm going to spend probably a week or two finishing with my edits list. Then I'll be back with another chapter of this. I do hope you all liked the chapter and are excited about what may happen next. Feel free to shoot me a comment to let me know what you thought. Farewell for now, gonna go work on taxes and get ready for dinner.


	28. Forever a Lost Boy at Last(Lost Boys Like Me are Free)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I want to apologize for the delay on this chapter. Especially to those of you that follow me on tumblr. I know I said I would have it up on Friday, but I had some real life stuff come up and then I was having some computer trouble. But it's here now! And I really hope it doesn't disappoint, because this should be the beginning of the lead up to the climax. There shouldn't really be much down time in the story from here until the end. On to the chapter!
> 
> One thing to put here, before you begin this chapter. There might be a very short... sexual scene... perhaps... but nothing too graphic so don't get yourselves too excited. I mean mildly graphic. It won't be in the book format, but I was feeling generous. Just as a warning.

Going back to school the next day definitely did not go as favorable as it had the day before during the disaster. Now that everyone had calmed down, students and teachers all whispered and shot them dirty looks. Percy had managed to get himself cornered by the football team, and his mouth did not help the situation. Percy had caused the fire alarm to go off to allow himself to get away.

Kelli was not back at school, and Jason heard that she was still in the hospital. Several students and two teachers were either at the hospital or still at home, needing to recover from injuries. Last night, most of the churches had even held vigils and emergency sermons after what had happened. It was entirely possible that they were planning to burn most of the coven at the stake.

Ms. Hestia was one of the two teachers that had been hurt, so that left absolutely no teacher during Jason's day that did not want to hate him. Tantalus especially was being an asshole. “Now make sure that you don't put your crosses upside down,” he sneered as he leaned over Jason, Percy, and Leo's table. And he only got more heated when Percy decided that the cross needed a doll that looked like Tantalus himself on it. “Watch yourself, Jackson, or you might end up on one of those yourself.”

It wiped the smile off Percy's face and it was replaced with a glare. “Can he say things like that?” Jason whispered when Tantalus had walked off.

“Nobody else is going to say they heard it,” Leo mumbled.

Percy was intently working with his doll. Jason's eyes widened as he noticed a few strands of Tantalus' hair in the guy's hand and was being stuffed into the doll. Percy just grumbled, “I'd like to see him try it.”

As a grin spread across Percy's lips, he looked up and caused the doll to fall. Not two seconds later, Tantalus fell forward, spilling his coffee all over himself and slamming his nose directly into his desk. Laughter erupted in the room and Percy swiftly caused the doll to vanish. He raised a finger to his lips as he grinned at Jason.

“Everyone shut up!” Tantalus yelled as he got up, clutching his nose. Blood was gushing between his fingers. As he reached for some tissues, Leo tilted his head to the side and the box tumbled off the side of the desk as the man's fingertips grazed it. Tantalus cursed under his breath. “Get back to work, you ungrateful brats!”

At the end of the school day, Jason was in study hall. Which was what he was now stuck in for the whole year, since he wasn't on the team anymore. Hedge had offered him a spot back, but Jason did not have the time on top of his magic lessons. It still sucked, though. Jason felt like he was wasting a slot he could have used for a real class. On the bright side, it allowed him time to do his homework, so that he wouldn't have to worry about it after his magic lessons.

Several of the football boys that weren't playing basketball or getting ready for baseball were in there with him. He had already been hit in the back of the head by five wads of paper and it was only fifteen minutes in. And the football coach that was presiding over the study hall was too consumed in his newspaper, not that he would have done anything anyways.

Jason scribbled away at some of his Calculus homework. That had been another exhausting class to get through. Ethan, who was Mrs. Nakamura's son, was still in the hospital due to a broken leg, several broken ribs, and a concussion, did not want to take it easy on Annabeth, Malcolm, or Jason. They had been called on every chance that the woman could think of. And Malcolm was already exhausted. During lunch, Annabeth said that Malcolm and Frank were staying up until nearly sunrise to research in the crypt. 

The lead from Jason's mechanical pencil broke and it was followed immediately by a collection of loud thuds. The room fell dark. It was rather dimly lit, the only light now coming from the small window in the door from the hall lights and the light from outside. Jason looked up and squinted. Every single person in the room was unconscious. Faint wisps hovered over them, floating in the air.

“Enjoying the life of a mundane, little warlock?”

Whipping his head back around, Jason now found his mother seated where the coach was. The coach was now face first in the carpet and was having his ass used as a footrest. The hairs on Jason's arms stood up and the light bulbs shot out above them. Lightning crackled in Jason's eyes. It was his mother's body, but Jason knew better. She still had the gunshot wound, but no blood came out and it did not look like it was going to heal. Her skin looked sickly and the veins under her skin stood out.

It was Circe's voice that spoke from his mother's body. “I do hope you're putting forth as much effort in finding my book.”

Glaring at the woman using his mother's body, Jason growled, “Who says I'm going to give it to you?”

“You are smart. I would imagine that you know the right thing to do is to give the book to me.” Circe narrowed her eyes. “Think about Nico, young warlock. Give me the book, and both of you will be spared from the coming storm.” Her hand came up and took the coach's soul in her grasp. As her nails pierced the wisp, it let out a high-pitched screech and convulsed in the witch's hand. “This world, and all that reside in it, are about to be burned away into ash. Do the smart thing, Jason, and bring me that book. I don't want to be disappointed. And I would hate for your mother to be taken from you again.”

Jason shot from his chair and a ball of lightning crackled to life in Jason's hand. Right as Jason was about to pull back his hand to throw it, Circe lifted a finger with the hand holding the coach's soul.

“I wouldn't do that,” she said with a smirk in the corner of her lips. “They aren't dead yet—be thankful for that—and I don't think you want to explain why the wall is suddenly scorched.” Her hand held out the soul. “Or perhaps you may miss me and hit the soul. It would be very unfortunate for the coach. Wouldn't want to send him to an early grave, now would you?” 

Anger still raged through Jason, like a fire burning at his very blood, but he relinquished his hold on the ball of lightning and it evaporated. His very being shook as he forced himself to sit back down. Not only could he not fight Circe at the risk of hurting any of the mortals in the room or threatening exposure to the coven, but Jason did not have a way of getting Circe out of his mother's body.

“I thought so,” Circe continued. Jason gritted his teeth. As she walked up, Circe walked around the desk and strolled up to Jason. She trailed one of her sharp nails along Jason's cheek until the blond pulled away. “I would also hate to put you to shame in a fight. We both know that if your little boy squeeze hadn't shown up, you wouldn't have escaped.”

“But not dead,” Jason indifferently stated.

Circe smiled and placed both hands on Jason's shoulders. “No.” The nails squeezed into Jason's skin. “Unfortunately, I need you alive. Lucky you.” Jason rolled his shoulders and Circe pulled away. “You and two lucky others are destined to witness the rebirth of this world. My masters will give us a world that we can finally call our own, but clearly not all will want to see it with us. And you,” her nail dug deep into the base of Jason's neck, drawing a hiss from the blond, “are the main centerpiece.” Circe leaned in close to whisper in Jason's ear. “But if you don't bring me that book, I will cut you down as soon as you see this dream become reality.”

Shooting around, Jason grabbed Circe's wrist and twisted, though she did not seem bothered at all by the action. Jason loosened his hold as his eyes dropped to the wrist he held. What if Circe didn't feel it at all? What if he was just hurting his mother, assuming she was actually still alive?

Jason smacked the wrist away with a glare. “And what if I don't bring you the book? How are you going to be able to complete this... rebirth anyways?”

“You misunderstand, Jason,” Circe retorted with a narrow of her eyes. “The book is not meant for this rebirth. I want that book for two other goals. One would make returning my brother to me much easier, as you'd still have your precious Nico.” Her eyes grew dark, shadows creeping into them as she leaned within inches of Jason's face. “The other is the very reason my brother hid the book in the first place, growing soft in his later days.”

“How do you know the Triple Goddess just won't arrange to bring me back like she did last time?” Jason boldly stated.

That seemed to catch Circe off-guard as she drew back a little. But it was short lived, as she shook it off. “Your puny goddess was worried. As she should be. Like everyone else, she will be brought crashing down.” Her lip curled up into a wicked smirk as she drew back into the shadows. “Besides, how are any of you here going to stop me when you already have another problem that was just dropped on your doorstep?”

Then she was gone. Everyone took in a deep breath and shot up in their desks. Everyone looked around like they had just woken up from a long nap. The coach on the floor mumbled something incoherent and then shot up, hitting his head on the desk. Jason sat back down in his desk with a frown, shoulders hunched as he tried to go back to work. His mind was already racing, though.

It was clear that she meant the new nephilim that was now somewhere in town. But did that mean she brought it here? Was it on her side? Did she just bring it here to cause chaos? And what of Jason? Was he to be a part of the downfall of their world and the start of a new one? Him and two others.

Tapping his pencil several times against his notebook, Jason was basically boring a hole into the paper. He needed to figure out who the other two were that Circe was after, and find out what she wanted them for. Perhaps if they could do that, they stood a chance of stopping her.

When school let out, Jason went home with Eros and Nico. The former was being strangely quiet. Jason opened the door and slowly let go of Nico's hand as raised voices drifted from inside the house. Jason let out a groan. Just great, he thought. Couldn't home be like a sanctuary today?

“Uh, maybe I should-” Nico began, but Jason cut him off.

“No, it's fine. You're staying.”

Eros left them without a word, bounding up the stairs to go to his room in the attic. Jason frowned as he watched the nephilim go, but chose to go look for the sounds of the argument. “My mother obviously did not order any investigation, nor are things out of control here!” Kronos shouted from the living room.

Nico and Jason poked their heads around the corner. Silene was back it seemed. And a lot more formally dressed than the previous times Jason had seen her. She wore a business skirt and jacket, her leg tucked neatly behind the other as she sipped some tea that Gaea had made. Gaea herself was calmly pouring some for herself and Kronos, who looked more than angry.

“My uncle is raising questions of if your mother is fit to lead the High Coven anymore.” Silene's eyes cut to Gaea. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Gaea said quietly as she sat down and dropped a sugar cube into her tea. She was far more relaxed than Kronos, not a care in the world showing on her face.

Silene raised the cup to her lips and sipped. “You're clearly trying to hide whatever is going on here from the High Coven.” Her eyes were less friendly than before, her hair now in a tight braid that hung over her shoulder. “And something happened here yesterday. I don't know what. It's clear you all spent time covering it up, but we still detected it. And Gaea here is neglecting her responsibilities as our leader.”

As calmly as her composure, Gaea said, “If I am handling the situation, how am I neglecting my responsibilities?”

“You seem very reluctant to share what is going on with the rest of us.” Silene set her tea to the side with a frown marring her face. “And my uncle, along with several members of the High Coven, are concerned that your arrogance is clouding your judgment. If we didn't know any better, we'd say you had a nephilim here in Aimes.”

Jason grew stiff and glanced up at ceiling. How right she was, but Eros was not the one that caused yesterday's disaster. Still, he did not think handing Eros over to the High Coven would end well for the nephilim. They'd probably treat him like a wild animal or an experiment, being the first of his kind to be trapped inside a body.

Before he spoke, Kronos glanced to where Jason and Nico were spying on them. He narrowed his eyes, but said nothing to them. Instead, he told Silene, “If your uncle feels so strongly about this, why doesn't he just speak to my mother himself?”

Gaea cleared her throat and everyone—including Jason and Nico—jumped. “It seems, at least to me, that Hyperion is growing a little bold. Backbone is good for him to finally have, but I must admit that I almost feel like he is wishing to challenge me.” She smiled at Silene. “Why don't you run back to him and tell him that if he is set on doing this, then he should be prepared for the retribution, should it not go his way.”

Silene did not seem as cocky anymore. Her stern expression melted away to a look that almost resembled fear. Jason knew that Gaea was supposed to be the most powerful of their kind alive right now, but he had never really witnessed her strike fear into someone else quite like this.

Taking in a slow breath, Silene rose to her feet and cleared her throat. She took a moment to straighten out her dress. “Always a pleasure to visit your home, Gaea,” she said politely. Gaea gave a polite nod in return. “If you'll excuse me, I'll see myself out.” Kronos grunted and Silene moved to leave. At the doorway, she stopped and peered down with some cold eyes at Nico and Jason. “You must be Zeus' son.” Jason felt like a bug under her cold stare. Then her eyes flickered to Nico, where her expression grew even more dull. “Nico,” she said with ice.

The two split apart to allow Silene to pass by. Nico followed her with his eyes, his expression too blank to read. The door was shut with a little more force than necessary. After a beat, Jason turned his head to look at Gaea and Kronos. “That seemed like it went well.”

Kronos did not look amused. He looked to his mother to say something, but Gaea remained quiet. “We need to fix all of this. Maybe we should get their help.” He sat down with a heavy sigh, massaging his temples. “If we do have a nephilim loose in town, we have a problem. This one will not be so easy to subdue like our previous one.”

“This one is at full strength,” Gaea sighed. “I know.”

Nico looked up at Jason and quietly said, “Capturing a fully powered nephilim usually results in a lot of damage. They rarely want to leave this plane quietly.” His eyebrows knitted together. “The host bodies sometimes even die. Aimes could be wiped off the map if it resists.”

\--------------------------------

Yanking his sweaty shirt over his head, Jason collapsed on his bed with a groan. Nico was at the head of the bed, one of his textbooks held up against his legs. Jason had endured lessons, then a short break for dinner, and then even more lessons. As Jason advanced, his lessons were getting harder. Not to mention that the adults felt that the time table for Jason to learn magic was advanced due to their current situation.

Nico wrinkled his nose. “Why don't you go shower?”

Jason glared at his boyfriend, attempting to stretch his arms far enough to reach the boy. Nico just smiled innocently at him. Smirking, Jason took hold of Nico's ankle and pulled the boy down the bed in one swift motion. Nico stared up at him with wide eyes. “Only if you take one with me,” Jason purred against Nico's neck.

There was an unfocused look that overtook Nico's gaze. Jason blinked down at the hands that were now resting against his sweaty, bare chest. One slid up to pull on Jason's neck and then they were kissing. There was a chill to Nico's lips and tasted like a sweet wine, something that Jason could easily get drunk off of.

As Jason's hands roamed along Nico's sides, the blond came to realize that Nico was still wearing too many clothes. Nico's hands had found their way to Jason's back, feeling all the muscles there as they strained to support Jason's weight. Then those fingers ghosted across Jason's arms and a shiver shot through Jason's body. Smiling into their kiss, Nico squeezed lightly on Jason's biceps.

“Having fun there?” Jason whispered as he pulled back, his fingers gently caressing Nico's collarbone.

There was still a smile touching Nico's lips. “You have a nice body.” The boy let out a long moan and his body writhed a little as Jason sucked lightly at the spot where Nico's neck met his shoulders. “Jason,” Nico sighed.

“Hmm?” Jason hummed as he kissed his way up to Nico's lips. His hands ran along each of Nico's legs and pulled them up. Catching on, Nico wrapped them around Jason's waist and then wrapped his arms around Jason's neck. Nico never said anything. Chuckling, Jason said, “You were saying something?”

Both of them let out a moan as Nico adjusted his position and his ass pressed against Jason's crotch. Jason's tongue darted into Nico's mouth while it was open and Nico let out another moan. The pale boy pulled desperately at Jason's head to pull him closer. Warning bells began going off somewhere in the back of Jason's mind, but the rest told him to ignore it.

Still, he pulled back and hung his head. This was too fast, wasn't it? Nico let out a whine as he tried to pull Jason back down to him. Jason's eyes lifted to look his boyfriend in the eye. He found a lustful look staring back at him, full of intent and purpose. No regrets.

Oh.

Slowly, Jason slid a hand under Nico's shirt to see if it was okay. The only response he got was a hand on his crotch. Jason's mouth opened into a very dignified 'O'. Definitely okay with Nico. Clearing his throat, Jason worked on lifting the shirt from Nico's torso. As soon as the shirt came over his head, Nico leaned forward and captured Jason's lips again.

The rest of their clothes soon followed. As Nico was under him, Jason took his boyfriend into his mouth. The boy writhed under him, his eyes tightly shut. Fingers tangled into Jason's short hair as his head bobbed up and down on Nico. It was at that exact moment that Jason was thankful that the other two occupants that lived in the house had their bedrooms at the other end of the house. Because Nico was already being loud, and they had barely started.

Without warning, Nico flipped them over. Jason blinked in surprise. His disappointment of being stopped died down the second Nico went down on him to return the favor. Looking down at Nico, the way his lips fit perfectly around Jason's manhood, was almost enough to get Jason off right then and there.

Jason would have been content with what they were doing now. But the look in Nico's eyes when he looked up at Jason, lips still wrapped around Jason, reminded Jason of the amazing experience that their last time had been.

Pulling off of Jason, Nico slid his hand along the sheet. A condom and some lube appeared there and Nico handed them over to Jason. With a brief look at the items, Jason flipped them back over and pressed Nico into the bed, their heads just barely dangling off the foot of the bed.

Jason did his best to accommodate Nico by preparing him before putting on the condom and using some lube on himself. As Jason slid into his boyfriend, he sealed their lips together to capture the moans that he knew would fall from Nico's mouth. Even muffled, they were rather audible. He waited for Nico to be comfortable before moving.

Hands roamed across each other's bodies as the boys took advantage of the exposed skin and close proximity. Nico's hands reached down to grope at Jason's ass and pull his boyfriend closer. Jason lightly trailed his fingers up Nico's long legs from his hips. It wasn't until Jason had nearly pushed Nico off the bed with his thrusts that Jason pulled Nico up into his arms to move them.

Nico let out a yelp as he was yanked up, clinging to Jason for dear life. Jason smiled and sealed their lips together, placing butterfly kisses on those soft lips. His heart pounded in his chest as Nico's head hit the pillow, hair framing the boy's face perfectly.

“You could warn me next time,” Nico said with a smirk.

As he smiled down at Nico, staring into his eyes, Jason was hit by a very chilling thought. Realization hit him like a truck. “You and two lucky others,” Circe had said. Two others. Their time in the graveyard with Circe crept back over him. She had refused to kill Nico as well, like she had with Jason. Oh no.

Nico was staring up at him in confusion. “Jason?” He cupped the blond's face with a frown. “Are you okay?”

Blinking a few times, Jason forced himself to smile. Not now, Jason. This was not the time to be thinking about these possibilities. “I-I'm fine,” Jason tried to assure Nico.

It didn't seem to work. Nico slid up a little in bed. “Do you want to stop?” No! “We can do this another time if you're tired.”

“I'm not tired.” Jason kissed Nico again and slid deeper inside him. Nico let out a moan. “See? Totally fine.”

“Jason,” Nico breathed out. “Really, you seem upset.” His brow knitted together. “I promise this won't be the only opportunity to do this, if you're worried I'll rethink doing this with you.”

A brief silence fell over the two as Jason could not bring himself to meet Nico's gaze. He was actually scared that this would never happen again. Last time had left an impact on him. He was afraid that something would happen to make Nico rethink things between them. And having that happen after they had sex for the first time was depressing.

He must have saw that Jason was conflicted, because Nico forced Jason to look at him. Jason's shoulders slumped. There was no look of regret to be found in Nico's brown eyes. He saw sincerity and love. Jason pursed his lips. Nico loved him, Jason needed to remember that. They were trying to keep the curse from tearing them apart.

“Are you sure?” Jason whispered.

As he pushed some of his hair out of his face, Nico smiled up at Jason. “I am fine, Jason. As good as having sex with you is, I can promise you that it's not the reason I love you.” Hearing those words brought a flush to Jason's face. It didn't even matter that he had heard Nico say them before. This was the first time Nico had said them naked. Nico reached up and pulled Jason down to him, holding the blond to his chest. “Why don't you get a shower, and then we can watch some TV before sleeping?” A smirk spread across his lips. “I'll even join you.”

Nico slid out from under Jason and pecked him on the lips. The corner of Jason's lips tilted up as he watched Nico walk into the bathroom, very much enjoying the view of his boyfriend's bare ass. Like he knew Jason was watching him, Nico stretched his arms over his head.

His smile faltered only a little. Jason would tell Nico about his fears eventually, but he had nothing concrete just yet. Jason would just do his best to keep Nico safe from Circe's reaching grasp. Nico turned to look at him and Jason smiled again. He jumped off the bed and jogged across the room to wrap Nico in his arms, and walk them into the bathroom.

Later that night, while Jason had Nico wrapped tightly in his arms, the boy shot up with a loud scream. Alarm bells went off in Jason's head as he was jarred awake. “Wha-what happened?” Jason asked quickly. He reached for his glasses and flicked a hand to make the light turn on. Nico was sweating in the bed beside him. “What's wrong?”

Nico was hunched forward, grasping wildly at his hair. He was mumbling incoherently under his breath. Jason leaned forward and brushed some of his hair aside just in time to witness a tear fall from Nico's eyes. He quickly pulled Nico closer and into his lap.

“Nico?” Jason asked. Nico didn't respond. Jason rubbed at Nico's soft back, trying to soothe the boy. “Nico, talk to me. What's wrong?” Leaning in, he kissed Nico's temple. “Please talk to me.”

“Gone,” was all Nico said before the door was flung open.

Kronos stepped inside, tying his robe and and looked at both of them. One look at Nico and he nodded. “You two need to come with me.” Another look at them. “Put some clothes on first.”

Jason, hesitantly letting go of Nico, grabbed his underwear from the floor and slid it on under the covers before he got out of bed. “What happened? Is something wrong?” he asked frantically.

Kronos did not answer. Sighing, Jason got himself dressed and then helped Nico into his own clothes. The boy was still shaking and did not want to talk. When they left his bedroom and went down the stairs, they found the lights were all on. Kronos, Gaea, and even Eros were waiting by the door. Unlike normal, Gaea looked stern and serious. She said nothing as she opened the door and motioned for everyone to get out of the house.

Jason followed quietly, holding tightly to Nico's hand as they were lead down the driveway and to the road. Along the way, some of the others—both young and old—came from the iron gates of their house and went jogging towards the cemetery. A chill began to form at the bottom of Jason's spine. Nobody was saying anything.

At the entrance of the cemetery, Jason found most of the coven standing at the entrance of the crypt. Ares and Hephaestus were both standing guard, not letting anyone inside. Gaea stepped forward, pushing her way through, and the others stepped aside.

“Jason,” came Luke's voice. The guy appeared from the group and touched Jason's arm. His face turned to Nico and his expression hardened. “What happened? They won't let us inside yet. Hades called just moments ago, but wasn't specific on the details.”

That chill shot up Jason's spine. Something had happened. Nico had woke up screaming. More specifically: the necromancer had woke up screaming. His father had called everyone and was nowhere to be seen right now. This was the family that dealt in death, and could sense it. Oh no. No. No no no no. Jason turned to Nico, who was still staring off into the distance, unfocused. This had to be wrong.

But who?

Hades stepped out from the crypt as Gaea was still talking with Hephaestus and Ares. He pulled Gaea off to the side to talk just as Annabeth called out in a raised voice, “Has anyone seen Malcolm?”

Jason noticed that Ares clenched his jaw. Clarisse stepped up to her father and whispered in his ear, motioning to the others in a frantic motion. Ares just shook his head.

Reyna came up and caressed Nico's face with a concerned look. “I can't find Frank either. I think him and Malcolm were working on their research.” She met Jason's gaze and the blond looked at Nico. No. This had to be wrong. Reyna followed Jason's stare and she froze. “Nico, please tell me... That's not why-”

Gaea cut her off. “I need everyone to remain calm,” she stated. Jason saw that Eros was descending into the crypt with Hades. Whispers started to resonate through their group. Gaea raised a hand for them to be silent. “I...” She herself looked shaken, slightly paler. “I am sorry to say that we lost two of our own tonight.” Reyna's hand fell from Nico's face. Clarisse was clenching her fist tightly, fighting tears that were already forming in her eyes. Percy had grabbed Annabeth. “We are looking into what happened.” There was no longer a single word that was uttered in the group. They knew who it was that was missing, they knew who Gaea was going to tell them was dead. “Malcolm and Frank were attacked and slaughtered in our library. Several books were destroyed. It is clear that they were on to something and their attacker did not want their knowledge to reach us.” Her head bowed and eyes closed. “Frank and Malcolm are dead.”

Annabeth stumbled and fell to the ground. “No,” she sobbed.

Ares punched the stone wall of the crypt so hard that it actually cracked. Nobody seemed to want to say anything. Maybe they were like Jason and hoped this was all just a bad dream. Athena came up and collected her daughter, pulling her into a hug and let Annabeth cry into her shoulder. Luke touched Reyna's back and she hugged him close.

What was Jason supposed to do? He had only known them for half a year, barely gotten to know them compared to some of the others. But everyone else? They had known Malcolm and Frank their whole lives. This must be devastating for them. With the curse, it was like a bad dream that kept happening again and again... perhaps until they were all gone.

Hades stepped out again and looked over the crowd. He met eyes with Nico and motioned for his son to come over. Nico slumped his shoulders and looked up at Jason. “Can you come with me?” he whispered.

“Of course,” Jason whispered back, squeezing Nico's hand.

The two of them, along with Gaea, went down into the crypt with Hades. The door to the main chamber had black sludge dripping off its surface. Jason jumped over a puddle that had formed on the door. The main chamber was perfectly fine, but the door to the library was blown open.

Inside, Eros was pacing around a table that was smoking and charred. Still in the chairs they were seated in were Frank and Malcolm. Jason wanted to stop Nico from coming in, but he had probably seen death before. And that was why he had been brought down here. Their bodies were abnormal, though.

Their skin was the color of ash, some of it even flaking off. Their mouths were open and more black ooze dripped out of them. Eros was peering into Frank's mouth. Gaea looked briefly at the nephilim. “Are their tongues gone?”

Eros gave a nod. Their eyes had not been cut out, but been burned to ash inside their eye sockets. “It wasn't a nephilim's magic,” Eros finally said. That was why they brought him down here. “Whether it was Circe or not, I cannot say.” He trailed a finger across some of the ooze that was on the table. “This is very dark magic, though. Very old. Unless any of you know any of the ancient spells, I'd say this was from the aid of a relic.”

Nico reluctantly let go of Jason's hand to go help his father with inspecting the bodies. Eros stepped back to stand beside Gaea. The witch was tapping a finger to her lips as she looked at the scene before her. “Are you absolutely sure it wasn't the new nephilim?”

“Well,” Eros began, “I cannot say for certain, as my magic is bound.” Gaea gave him a dull look for that remark. “It's possible. I would not guess as such, though.” Gaea frowned at him, eyebrows knit together. “If it were the nephilim that just arrived in town, I'd imagine your entire crypt would have been destroyed.” He shook his head.

“So we're looking for a witch or warlock?” Hades assessed as he collected a vial of the sludge and handed it to Nico.

Gaea shook her head as she looked around at the rest of the room. “Still, I would not like to rule out the possibility of it being this other nephilim just yet. It could be working for Circe and didn't destroy it as a way to fool us.” A heavy sigh escaped her as she finally sat down in a chair. It was clear that this was weighing very heavily on her. “Have someone call the school in a few hours, none of the kids are going to school today. If you could, Hades, prepare our burial ceremony when you are done here.” Hades gave her a nod. “See what Demeter can brew up, perhaps some tonics for those that need it.”

It was awkward for Jason to stand there. He knew Nico had asked him to come down here for comfort, but Jason just felt useless. He didn't know what to do here. Hell, what he knew about magic was practically a spec of dust in the infinite span of the universe.

Having collected all the vials from his father, Nico placed them into a satin pouch. He looked up to meet Jason's eyes and mouthed that he wanted to go. Jason nodded and took Nico's hand again. The two left the tragic scene behind and left the crypt. Everyone began shouting questions as soon as Nico stepped outside. He didn't utter a word, at least not until he walked to where Annabeth and Reyna were. “I'm sorry,” he whispered before moving by them to leave.

It was very different being in Nico's house with nobody there. Well, nobody living or that wasn't a dog. At this hour, Jason witnessed a ghost here and there walking through the halls. None of them seemed to even notice them standing there. Nico motioned for Jason to follow him and led them to the library upstairs. He opened it up and pointed to a bookshelf against the back wall. A clicking noise sounded out and the shelf slid aside.

Inside was another room, not very big at all. It had some chemicals on a table, along with a few alchemy supplies. Nico put the vials on the table and stepped out, shutting the room off. He waved a hand and a light veil of energy formed over the entrance.

Letting out a breath, Nico finally said, “Thank you. For staying with me, I mean.” One of his hands pushed his hair from his face and raked his fingers through his hair. “I felt them die, heard them scream as they passed.”

“Nico,” Jason said softly as he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Nico. “I'm so sorry for this. I know they were your friends, and a part of this coven.” He kissed Nico's forehead. “You can sleep at my house for as long as you want, so you don't have to be alone.”

“I'll be fine, Jason.”

It didn't sound like it. “My offer still stands. I don't want you to be alone.”

A sad smile appeared on Nico's face. “Come. There's much that needs to be done before it arrives.” He said nothing else before walking out of the room.

Not even to explain what he meant. It? What was Nico talking about?

Hours passed by and the sun was going to rise soon. Most of the coven—Eros having gone back to the attic—worked fast to prepare the bodies and what they needed for a funeral. Which was not normal. Both of the bodies had been placed in the middle of the dining room at Gaea's house, all of the chairs and tables having been removed. Candles had been lit and incense was burning. Bianca and Medea both circled the tables while blowing on some sage that they had lit. Hazel had wanted it to do it for Frank, but Bianca had calmly explained to Hazel that she was too upset to do it.

And Hazel was. Tears streamed down her face. Nobody dared move her, though, from where she knelt by Frank's side. Nico's hand was intertwined with Jason's. It held on tightly, worrying Jason slightly due to the cold feeling of it. Ares had pulled up a chair not long ago for an old lady that Luke had explained was Frank's grandmother. She sat and held Hazel's hand as they both watched over Frank's body.

Annabeth, who had painted the two stones that were being placed over Malcolm's eyes, held her cousin's hand. She probably hoped he would squeeze it back. Nobody really spoke, though. Demeter stepped into the room every few minutes and handed a tonic to someone to give to those that needed them. Not even Travis and Connor were willing to break the silence. This was the most still that Jason had ever seen them.

A feeling of guilt washed over Jason. When they had died, he had been in bed with Nico. And they had been having sex not long before that. In fact, before being woken up, these past few days had been the happiest Jason had probably ever felt. All of this was shocking to him, but Jason was not devastated like the others were. And he felt guilty for that, felt guilty for being in a happy place in his own personal life.

Just as the first cracks of light crept over the horizon, a sharp coldness flowed through the room. Frank's grandmother pulled Hazel to her feet and they cleared away from the body. Annabeth quickly stepped back, wiping at her eyes. All of the candles blew out and all of the lights in the house shot out. As he let out a breath, Jason's eyes widened as he could see his own breath. A cold feeling washed over Jason's body, a familiar feeling to what he felt the night he laid there dying in the street.

The sound of a child's laughter reverberated inside of Jason's head. From the doorway appeared a being that was nothing but shadows, hovering inches above the ground. It's eyes were like staring at the moon in the night sky. It looked all around the room and a sound of a child wailing in the distance emanated from it.

It drifted through the air and moved between the tables with Frank and Malcolm. In Jason's head came the noise of hundreds, possibly thousands or millions, of children crying from far off. The thing, while nothing but a moving shadow, was even small like a child itself. It hovered over Frank first and drew in a faint breath. Giant black wings shot out from its back. From Frank's mouth came his soul, which the phantom being took inside itself. Then it moved to Malcolm and did the same.

It was... Was this thing a nephilim? Was this what a nephilim normally looked like? Just staring at it, the thing seemed abnormal. Once it was finished, it slowly drifted towards the door again. The crying of children grew louder in Jason's head and the thing's head slowly turned to stare directly at Jason.

In one swoop, the thing was in front of Jason and had a hold of him. The feeling was oddly warm and comforting, not what Jason had expected. As the thing stared directly at Jason, its black wings emerged again. Then there was a gunshot and his mother screamed his name before his eyes rolled back and his body began to crumple, everything going black right before he hit the ground.

\----------------------------------------------

When his eyes opened, Jason found himself on the floor of what looked like Kronos' room. Almost like it. Kronos was even there at his desk, brewing some items together. But the room was clearly not how Jason remembered it looking. For starters, there was no TV and the bed looked something from years ago.

Jason got to his feet with a groan. “Kronos? How long was I out?” he asked. Kronos didn't even look up. Jason reached out for him, but his hand passed straight through his grandfather. “Dammit,” Jason cursed as he finally got a look of himself. He was barely visible even to himself.

Behind Jason, on Kronos' bed, was Tartarus fast asleep. The room looked different because Jason wasn't in his own time. The door opened and Kronos finally looked up, his hair tied back in a small ponytail. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.

One look at Gaea told Jason exactly where he was in time. The dress, the hair, the many pearls around her neck, and long cigarette holder and martini glass in hand. This was in the 1920s. Good to know Gaea was at least consistent with her drinking, Jason supposed.

“Back again?” Gaea said, not even looking surprised. She took one look at Tartarus and added, “Have you let Rhea know you're home.”

Kronos let out a grunt as he mixed another liquid into the vial he was working on. “I have more important matters to attend to.” He frowned. “I did see my son, though, before you ask.” Kronos mixed an herb into his mixture. “Hades called to inform me about Tartarus.”

As Kronos looked to Tartarus on the bed, so did Jason. Tartarus was far more pale than he had been in Salem. His hair was a mess, badly cut and probably not washed in a few days. He looked more like a shell of his former self. Parts of his skin seemed aged and ashy, his nails actually a sickening black color. There was a faint purple coloring in the shells of his ears and in the corner of his eyes. His lips had black specs on it and looked cracked. It was nothing like Jason had really ever seen before, but a creeping suspicion told him he knew exactly what was happening.

“I didn't know he was this bad,” Kronos continued as he turned back to his work. A silver smoke cloud rose from vial with a fizzle. Kronos, in a rage, tossed everything off his desk and let it smash against the floor.

Gaea calmly said, “You know that won't work. You only get one use of the potion.” She frowned at several cuts on Kronos' hands and arms. “It doesn't matter how much blood you offer, it's a binding law of magic. One potion per generation.”

“I know the law!” Kronos snapped, his eyes ablaze as he clenched his fists on the desk. Wiping at his face, he stood up and moved to sit beside the unconscious Tartarus. “Maybe if I could just do this... maybe he wouldn't want to go down this path anymore.”

His mother stepped into the room and peered down at Tartarus. “I see you've already been using your magic on him.” She gave her son a disapproving look as the warlock caressed Tartarus' hair. “Altering him like this, turning back time on his body, will not erase the darkness that has found its way into his very soul. It will also not give you more time with him.”

There was a defeated look in Kronos' eyes when he finally looked up. He let out a sigh and nodded before rubbing at his face. Softly, he said, “I know.”

Jason's eyes darted from the scene on the bed to the spilled work on the floor. What was that? There had been just a brief moment before the potion failed that it had turned silver. A silver that Jason had seen somewhere before. If every generation in their family did this, wouldn't he get to as well? But what was it that he was expected to create?

As he took a step towards the broken items, Gaea and Kronos both turned in his direction. Jason's eyes widened and he took another step. Kronos stood up and looked oddly in his direction, clearly looking for something. Oh shit. Did they... hear him? Was that possible?

The second the two looked away, Jason looked down at his hands in a panic. Oh no. No no no no. This was bad. While he looked at himself, parts of Jason's hands became solid and clear. Panic filled him and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up as Gaea perked up again. Just as she turned to look at him, Jason held up his hands. In one of his palms opened a vortex and Jason felt a sudden tug. It was nothing more than a blink of an eye before Jason disappeared.

With a yelp, Jason shot up in bed, hands darting around him. His nerves calmed as he realized that he was, in fact, in his own bed. In his own time as well. Nico sat on the edge of the bed, pulled back a little in surprise. Kronos leaned against the door to Jason's closet and Percy was trying to balance himself on the back legs of a chair.

“I- You-” He looked at Kronos with wide eyes, who just arched a brow. Jason slid an inch further under his covers. Nico reached over and felt his head. “What happened?” Before he had time jumped that thing had come after him. If it was a nephilim, shouldn't he be dead? “What was that thing?”

“You...” Nico began gently, but turned to look at Kronos. The older warlock remained silent, tapping a finger lightly against his arm. Nico turned back to Jason with a furrowed brow. “Well, it was a nephilim.”

Percy, nearly falling backwards, caused the chair to hover and flip back upright. He wasn't smirking like usual, an almost frustrated look in his eyes. “That's putting it lightly,” he muttered.

“The only one of its kind,” Kronos finally spoke.

In Nico's hand was a glass with a green liquid in it. Even from here, Jason caught a whiff of the horrid stench. But Nico held it out to Jason. “It'll help. You need to drink it.” He watched quietly as Jason swallowed it all, making a face after. Nico let out a sigh and set the cup aside. “This nephilim has dominion over lost souls and dead children, guiding them into a unique afterlife.”

Jason gave a snort. “What, like Peter Pan?”

Nobody laughed at the joke. “Yes,” Nico replied solemnly, “exactly like the story. Its unique appearance is exactly where mortals got the idea of Pan's shadow.” Nico was still staring at Jason, like he expected his boyfriend to pass out again. “You escaped death, Jason. Unlike most nephilim, this one does not answer to the Triple Goddess if it does not wish it. So it felt cheated out of a soul when the Triple Goddess allowed Eros—the nephilim—to make the exchange for your soul.”

Hearing this brought forth the idea to check over his shoulder. “Is it... going to come back?” Jason almost squeaked.

Nico gave him a soft smile. “No. You're safe.” He let out a sigh and patted Jason on the arm. “For now, at least.”

Because that was reassuring.

Before Jason could open his mouth, the room came to a perfect standstill. Percy's eyes were frozen wide as he began to tip backwards again and the chair froze mid fall. Nico sat like a statue on the edge of the bed. But Kronos moved like normal, as did Jason. The blond warlock looked up at his grandfather as he moved away from the door.

“Would you like to share what you saw this time?” Kronos calmly asked. “I feel like every time you go to sleep, you're just time jumping each time.”

“I almost took physical form,” Jason admitted.

Kronos raised a single eyebrow. “Really? I was wondering why your body seemed to flicker.” He raised a hand to touch his chin. “Your power is still growing, but you do not have the discipline to control it yet.” The immortal warlock let out a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose and tilted his head back, clearly growing frustrated. “I do not see why your father thought this was for the best. He knew you came from a powerful family, he should have known how disastrous it would be if you regained your magic without training. Of course, like always, I am here to clean up his mess.”

A small corner of Jason's lips quirked up. “I'm not going to like... cause time to fold in on itself, am I?” While Kronos didn't respond, he did smirk. “I feel that is a valid fear, you know.” Jason frowned as he studied Nico's frozen face. “What do I do if I physically travel back in time?”

“Try not to talk to yourself if you are alive during that time.”

Why was his grandfather like this?

“Okay, well,” Jason decided to change the subject, “I saw you trying to make something. Tartarus was unconscious, he looked kind of... odd.” He studied Kronos' face for emotion, but it remained very blank. “Succubi and Incubi don't look normal, do they?”

Kronos glanced at Nico's still form. “No, they don't.” He looked up at Jason again and took a seat at the foot of the bed, pressing his back to one of the posts. “I take it you're curious about the potion I was making?”

“Yes,” Jason whispered. “I saw it before. You handed it to Tartarus after he ascended to Head of House.” Why had Kronos never mentioned this potion, though? “It can only be brewed once?”

There was a slight twitch in Kronos' face. He seemed irritated... and a little sad. “Correct.” A sigh escaped him as he pulled a leg up onto the bed. “I was going to tell you later, perhaps when I felt you were ready.” His eyes widened slightly as he stared off into the distance. “And you definitely aren't ready, nor is it your decision alone.” What? “While we are immortal, as you can probably imagine, it can get lonely. You watch as your friends and loved ones pass from this world. Even as witches and warlocks, Percy and Nico here will not live forever. The rest in the house and the coven will not live forever. There will come a day when we will have more funerals as they each pass and new generations come along.

“They age and the three of us in this family will remain the same. In another year, you will stop aging and that will be how you will remain for the rest of time, as it was for me. It is both a curse and a blessing. You get to live forever and watch as the world advances around you, and even get to study more magic than any other witch or warlock.” Kronos nodded slowly, head drooping slightly. “But the curse, obviously, is that you have to endure the pain of loss. Over and over again, for all eternity.” He motioned to Nico and Jason turned to stare as well. “There will come a time that you would have to give up Nico, even if you were to break the curse between you.”

Darting his eyes back to his grandfather, Jason said, “I'm sensing a 'but' here.”

Kronos did give a slight nod, but had his lips pursed. “One potion of immortality.” He held up a finger, intent look in his eyes as he made sure that Jason was looking directly into his eyes. “One. Only one. No more than that, no matter the circumstances.” As he rolled his eyes, Kronos waved a hand and time flowed backwards around the chair Percy sat in and it righted itself back up. “It also carries an expiration date.” His eyes studied Jason's face, which was now staring down at the sheets. “Jason, I know you will already want to give Nico this potion. But you and I both know you are cursed.” He held up a hand and Jason looked up with a sigh. “I implore you, please, do not try to create this potion until that curse is broken. Or without talking to Nico.”

Scoffing, Jason sat back in his bed and touched Nico's hand. “Why wouldn't he want to take it? We're going to break this curse, it won't change anything between us.”

“I'm glad you have confidence,” Kronos replied with a thin line to his lips, “but you cannot know what will happen between you two when the curse breaks. You have no control over it, or how Nico will feel.” That wasn't true, Jason kept repeating to himself, gripping tightly at the sheets. “Not everyone wants to be immortal, Jason. Can you really ask Nico to take on this life, knowing he will have to watch everyone around him age and die? Would you put your feelings for each other first and subject Nico to this life? Do you even know if he would want it?”

Opening his mouth, ready to respond, no words came out. Jason slowly shut his mouth and slumped in the bed. His face fell as he slowly turned to look at Nico's frozen form again. Reaching out, he caressed the boy's cheek. Would Nico wish this? Would Nico want to be with him... forever?

As Kronos stood up, he cleared his throat and motioned for Jason to resume his place. Kronos moved back to the door and leaned against it. As time began to slowly flow again, Jason did his best to put on a more cheerful demeanor, but it felt hollow. A great pit had opened up inside of him, dropping his heart down into it. Was it even possible for him to really have a happy ending? Did immortals have an ending at all? If Nico didn't take the potion, there would come a time where Jason would have to give him up.

Maybe this was what Nico had first tried to tell Jason back when they first found out what he was.

Nico's eyes came to life again and Jason found it harder than he thought to keep a smile on his face while looking at his boyfriend. He took his hand and squeezed, raising one of Nico's eyebrows. Nico used his free hand to feel of Jason's forehead again. “Are you sure you're okay?”

“I'm f-fine,” Jason whispered, voice cracking at the end.

Taking pity on him, Kronos suggested they give Jason some space. Nico leaned down and pecked Jason on the edge of his mouth before following Kronos out of the room. Right before Percy could leave, Jason caused the door to shut in the other warlock's face.

Without even turning around, Percy said, “I'm flattered, really, Jason, but I don't think Nico would approve of a threesome.” He turned around with a weak smirk on his face, his eyes not even able to look enthusiastic at his own words. But he came back and leaned against the post at the foot of Jason's bed. “But, if you insist, I would gladly get naked and be waiting in the bed next time you have him over.”

“Flattering, really. You're truly a good friend to the both of us.” Jason just shook his head and furrowed his brow. At least Percy was trying to lighten the mood. “No, but I did want to talk to you about Nico.” Sliding his legs over, Jason sat up in bed. The room briefly spun, but Jason managed to stay upright. Percy casually sat down beside him, his smile having vanished and he found his shorts very interesting. “You know that Eros said that the Triple Goddess brought me back for a reason?” A nod from Percy. “Well, Circe has also expressed I'm supposed to be involved in something. Along with two others.”

“Well that can't be good.”

Putting it lightly. “The point here is that I think Nico might be another piece to this. When we encountered Circe in New Orleans, Circe said she wouldn't kill either of us. Sounded like she had something bigger planned for us.” Jason's eyes drifted to the door. Hopefully Nico would not come back. “I don't want Nico to worry right now, I don't know if this is true or not. But I wouldn't mind some help... keeping an eye on him.”

Without responding right away, Percy stood up and turned to look down at Jason, placing his hands behind his head. Jason's eyes dulled as he caught sight of the waistband of Percy's underwear that read: Large Package, Handle With Care. Percy chuckled and pulled his shirt down. “You know,” he began, “Nico doesn't really need protection.” He drifted back towards the door. “But I wouldn't want anything to happen to Nico because he's too stubborn to accept any help watching his back, so I'll keep my eye out for anything.”

“Thank you,” Jason whispered. Percy gave a nod and shut the door behind him as he left.

Jason took in a deep breath before jumping up. That was a mistake. He stumbled and nearly hit his head on the post Percy had previously been leaning on, but he put one foot in front of him and caught himself on the bed. That elixer Nico had given him still had a bad taste in his mouth. He really debated just going into his closet to change, but thought better of it. He wasn't going into town, the coven could deal with him being in pajama pants and one of his old shirts.

As he opened the door, Jason was immediately greeted by the sound of hushed voices. He poked his head outside and found Nico and Apollo standing by an old clock Gaea refused to talk about. Nico had his eyes narrowed at the tall blond warlock in front of him. “It was tragic, Nico,” Apollo said as he ignored the dark look in Nico's eyes. “You're in shock. You just need to calm down, and then you'll be thinking more clearly.”

“Clearly,” Nico mumbled. “I just find it interesting, given the circumstances that their bodies were in when we found them. Looked like some plague.”

Apollo's eyes dulled. “As I said, clearly in shock. Are you really insinuating that I would inflict such things on a member of our coven?” Apollo had not been there when the coven had found the bodies. And now Apollo was there, looking exhausted, in a pair of scrubs. “I am in medical school, Nico. What reason could I possibly have for wanting to eliminate Frank or Malcolm?”

“Maybe a traitor is involved. Maybe it's you.”

Shaking his head, Apollo let out a sigh. His eyebrows rose and he looked down the hall and at Jason. His lips tilted down as he moved to head towards the stairs. “You might want to get your boyfriend out of here for a while, Jason, he's getting a little paranoid.”

After Apollo was gone, Nico's head slowly shifted towards Jason. His eyes warned Jason not to say anything. And he didn't. Jason quietly shut his door and moved to stand next to Nico. He held out his hand and, with a sigh, Nico took it. What was that about?

“I want to go see the graves,” Jason said instead. “Come with me?”

Nico slowly nodded and followed Jason downstairs and out the door. They didn't talk until they got to the end of the driveway and outside the iron gate. “Are you feeling better?” Nico began.

“A little.”

“Good.”

This was not awkward at all. At that moment, Jason strongly considered trading his time magic for the ability to read Nico's mind. His boyfriend was just always so quiet. They promised to open up more with each other, but Jason got the impression that some parts of Nico would always be lost in the mysteries of his mind.

“So,” Jason began as he adjusted his glasses and chanced a glance at Nico from the corner of his eye, “is it safe yet to ask what that was about with Apollo?”

Luckily, Nico didn't pull his hand away. “I'm not going to snap at you, Jason, for asking me a question. Or I'll try not to.” He leaned a little more into Jason and the blond let go of Nico's hand to wrap an arm around him. “Some things happened, it's in the past. Better if you didn't worry about it.”

Rubbing Nico's shoulder, Jason asked, “Is this about Apollo seducing your ex?”

Not missing a beat, Nico flatly said, “No.”

It was not hard to find the new graves when they arrived. The dirt was freshly dug and packed down on top of the coffins that now laid their friends to rest. Nico stood quietly at the foot of their graves. Jason moved between them and touched each of the tombstones. Never again would Jason see them.

Well, not without using his magic.

Kronos was right, time magic and immortality left Jason with a strange feeling when it came to death. Was anyone truly dead to him? He had to wonder if Kronos ever went back to gain more time with Tartarus. This year was just not going well. Jason had already lost three people around him.

Three...

Jason's head lifted ever so slightly as realization hit him. He turned to face Nico. “I just realized,” he began, “Eros is dead.”

“You just realized that?” Nico retorted.

Jason had his lips scrunched up tight as he looked around the cemetery. It wasn't right, was it? “The real Eros is gone, he's not coming back. But nobody in town knows this besides us.” His hand trailed lightly on Frank's tombstone. “He doesn't have one of these. How is that right?”

Nico pursed his lips, but said nothing.

How was this fair to the memory of his friend? And letting this go was out of the question. “I want to make a tombstone for Eros.” Even if it was a simple marker that Jason put out in the woods or even in the yard of Gaea's house, maybe even somewhere near Eros' house, Jason would see this taken care of. “Would the coven allow this? It just doesn't seem right, Nico.”

He must have looked more distraught than he realized, because Nico came up to him and wrapped him in a tight embrace. In his ear, Nico whispered, “We can ask the coven, I promise. It's a really nice gesture, Jason.” He kissed Jason on the cheek as he rubbed on Jason's back. “But...” Nico pulled back so that he could look Jason directly in the eye, “I think there's someone else that you might want to talk to first.”

Without further explanation, Nico turned and walked back towards the gate. Jason stared after him for a moment, questioning what his boyfriend had meant. As he looked at the graves one more time, it hit Jason. Oh. Right. While the original Eros was gone, there was now another that the name belonged to.

Jason stuffed his hands into his pockets and took off after Nico. He needed to talk to the nephilim about this. How would that even go? Would this new Eros care about Jason's request? Would it be insulting to him? Jason shook his head as he caught up to Nico. Nothing in his life was ever going to be simple or normal again, was it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quite a lot happened this chapter. Nico and Jason became intimate again, although it didn't really pan out the way either of them wanted in the end. Next time. Lost two members of the coven. And they won't be the last, just throwing that out there now. I've been neglecting them a lot in the story and that's something I'll have more time to work with in the books. Some of Circe's plan has been brought into the light as well.
> 
> I will go ahead and say that there are only about 10-15 more chapters in this fic. As you might remember, this fic will only covers books 1-3, out of the total 7 books. I am going to do my best to deliver a satisfying ending, though, to the fic. As it will be around 4 years possibly before book three would get published lol. I will also say that I will be talking a lot about what's going on with the books in the last chapter, mainly where I'm at and how I might be doing with the process of getting it published. You know, if I'm fortunate enough to have a legit draft to send off. Also I might share a little bit of what is to come for the future of the books after the end point that is the fic.
> 
> Another thing to note is that the final battle of the fic is not the end. After the battle ends, I'm estimating about two chapters will follow it. I have a lot to wrap up with that, some new things to bring to light, and possibly a few cliffhangers. But I'm very excited. I do hope you enjoyed this chapter, though. I hope I did a good job conveying everything as it happened and didn't overlook things like I sometimes do. I am sure there are a lot of questions that were raised with this chapter, but I'm fairly certain that all those get resolved in the fic, so don't worry. Now I am going to go get some food and enjoy my evening before I get back to work on editing the first book. Leave me a review and all that, let me feel the love. And I will see you all next time!


	29. The Scar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't mean to take this long. I've just had a lot going on. I had, and still am, dealing with one of my roommates thinking he could borrow my debit card without my knowledge and put it back without me realizing anything was up. So he's been evicted... or he should be. But the past two weeks I've heard the same, "I'll be gone by the weekend." And yet he's still here. So I'm trying to finish getting him out of here and out of my life. And then I'm getting ready to move at the end of July. Not far, same complex. Just getting my own place.
> 
> But enough about that. I'll go ahead and say that this is more a plot chapter. It's here to reveal several things I've been leading up to. The title of the chapter probably tells you one thing you'll get the story behind. I just hope that you like it.

On Sunday, a coven meeting had been called. Apollo, unfortunately, had stuck around after the deaths of Frank and Malcolm. The first day back to school after it happened had resulted in both Percy and Reyna getting into fights, because several kids had made jokes about the dead. After that had happened, the coven had decided to keep everyone home the rest of the week. Normally, Jason would think he would get to spend more time with Nico.

This was not the case.

But for a good reason. Nico had spent all of his time with Hazel, who had barely left her room. Jason wanted to go spend time over there as well, but Kronos had doubled down Jason's magical studies while he was taking the week off. But, thankfully, Jason found some free time on Sunday afternoon before they met to discuss the situation.

Knocking on the door, Jason waited. There were some heavy footsteps on the other side before the door was opened. Medea blinked at him from within, not saying a word before she shut the door in Jason's face. He simply narrowed his gaze and knocked again.

This time Bianca opened the door. She gave him a sad smile and stepped aside to let him. “Ignore Medea,” she whispered.

“I tend to do,” Jason replied.

Tucking some of her hair behind her ear, Bianca nodded and moved towards the stairs. “Nico is with Father in the study, speaking with a guest. They'll be out shortly.” She motioned down the hall. “Feel free to wait for him... quietly... and out of sight.”

She elaborated no further before disappearing up the stairs and down the hall. Weird. Jason let out a breath through his nose and stepped down the hall. Medea was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, watching Persephone mess with some flowers that she had put in the windowsill above the sink. Medea gave Jason a dull look as he passed.

As Jason came to the doorway that was the study, Nico fell into his line of sight. Nico had his head tilted up, a shadow cast over him from someone opposite him. The smell of a cigar quickly hit Jason's nose. It was strong; strong enough to make him cough. Nico's eyes darted to Jason and grew wide. He made to step towards Jason, but a cane was placed in front of him and then a top hat came into view.

Standing before Jason was a man that towered over him by nearly two heads. In the low lit room, he was nearly a shadow, save for the tattoo on his face and the whites of his teeth and eyes. On his face was a white skull. In his mouth, which was now turned up in a grin, was a thick cigar. His clothes were of high quality, but seemed dusty and stitched around the arms, collar, and down the side of his pants legs.

“Jason,” Nico quickly said, “what are you doing here?”

“I...” Jason eyed the man before him, who took a long drag of his cigar, “just wanted to come see if you were busy.”

With another drag of his cigar, the man's eyes grew red like flames as he watched Jason. “Ah. Jason.” His voice was rich and deep, almost nasally. “I know a goddess that very much wants to have you dragged back to the afterlife.”

Hades came around the corner and narrowed his eyes at Jason. The man grunted and eyed the strange man. “Apparently she felt he was needed here more.”

` “Yes,” came the man's reply. “To deal with your father's mistake.” Hades frowned and the man held his hand out for Jason. “It is quite a... pleasure to meet you, Jason Grace.” Slowly, Jason shook it. There was a coldness to it that reminded him of Nico's hand, but seemingly drained the life from where they touched. “You may have the honor of addressing me as Baron Samedi.”

Jason just stood there, staring blankly at the man. He turned to look at Nico for help, who slapped a face to his hand. Stepping around the man, Nico quickly put some distance between Jason and Baron Samedi. “He's a loa,” Nico whispered in Jason's ear.

Any courage that Jason might have had quickly left him. The loa actually smiled, clearly having heard them. “One of the big ones. I must say that I am mildly offended that he hasn't heard of me.” The last part was directed at Hades, who grunted.

“You're not the only one.”

All heads turned to stare at the new voice. Jason heard Nico curse under his breath. There, in the house, was Marie Levesque—or Marie Laveau, as most of the people in the di Angelo house refused to address her in relation to Hazel—with a very irritated look on her face and a very old, very thick book in her hand.

“Marie,” Baron Samedi said with a smile, stepping forward to kiss both of her cheeks. He tipped his hat to Hades. “You have my word that the boys are fine. Always a pleasure, Hades.” His eyes fell upon Jason, sending a chill down the warlock's spine. “Until next time, Jason.”

He didn't even make it to the door before he just vanished into nothingness. Turning on her heel back towards Hades, Marie wasted no time in jumping directly into what was irritating her. “If Jason here has no idea about Baron Samedi, I have to wonder just how well my own daughter is being educated about the workings of her culture.”

“A pleasure as always, Marie,” Hades grumbled. “However, I don't recall inviting you here.” She definitely looked more aggressive than the last time that Jason had met the witch. Hades, however, was not having it. “I believe I am Hazel's guardian. A wish that your late husband, my brother, wished for.” Raising a hand to grasp something, a mug of coffee appeared out of smoke. “I just spent the good part of my morning and afternoon with Baron Samedi, so please excuse me if I do not have the patience to deal with a woman that abandoned her family, got my brother killed, just to better herself.”

“Then by all means,” Marie shot back, “let me have her. Maybe then she could get a proper training in her voodoo abilities. You sure as hell aren't going to do it. But what can I expect really from a family that was offered those secrets and then decided to share them with the rest of this cursed coven, against my very wishes I might add!” As she narrowed her eyes, Hades pulled his coffee back as it was now bubbling.

“Careful now.” Hades sounded tired. Like Nico, Jason got the impression that Hades did not get along with Marie either. “You'll have Hazel over my dead body.”

“Promises, promises. I can always have that arranged.”

The house creaked and the lights shot out. From the walls came shadows and hands and wailing ghosts. Marie was yanked off her feet and dangled from the ceiling. Letting out a sigh, she gave Nico a dull look and said, “Now, Nico, it's not nice to fight your daddy's battles.”

“I'm not letting you take Hazel,” Nico hissed. His eyes were already black.

Reaching out, Jason took his hand and Nico's brow furrowed. He looked at Jason for several long seconds before the darkness faded in his eyes. The house illuminated again, but the hands kept Marie bound where she was. After learning that Nico was at risk of becoming an incubus, Jason couldn't help but worry about him every time that Nico used his magic.

Marie let out a huff, not even trying to struggle. “I don't believe that's any way to treat someone on the High Coven that is keeping your secret, Nico.” Her eyebrows raised and she pointed at the book that she had brought, which was now on the floor, with her foot. “Gaea is expecting that. I would very much like to get it to her, if you could let me down.”

It looked like Nico was about to respond with something, but he looked up at Jason and frowned. With a wave of his hand, Marie dropped to the floor and casually scooped up the book. Both Hades and Nico seemed to be biting back their words. It was strange, though, as Jason stared down at his boyfriend.

He knew that Nico was supposed to be the second most powerful witch or warlock, but it felt strange to realize that it put him above the other witches and warlocks of the High Coven. But he was also very glad that Nico had backed down. Because, if the High Coven would react badly to finding out about Nico and the magic that had given him life, Jason wanted them to stay completely in the dark.

“What did my great-grandmother want you to bring her that we don't have in the library here?” Jason decided to ask.

Marie smiled and patted him on the cheek. “You are far more polite than the other men in this house, I must say. Quite refreshing.” She held up the book and tapped a nail to its spine. “It's a single copy, and it is from the library in the halls of the High Coven's sanctuary. I told Gaea I would pick it up for her while I was in London.”

“Apparently,” Hades cut in, “according to the notes Malcolm had been taking, he believed the Dagger of Souls was not completely lost. There were accounts of its existence from the notes that Merlin kept. It also popped up when the French had to kill Napoleon the second time.”

Jason frowned down at Nico, who brushed it off. No, no. That was not information that needed to be brushed off. What all in his history books had been a lie covered up by magic?

There was a moment where Hades shared a look with his son. Then he motioned towards a door. “Why don't I walk over with you?” he offered. Marie put on a smile and took his arm as they walked out of the house.

Taking a deep breath, Nico turned and put his foot on the stairs at the back of the house. He held out a hand and Jason took it. “Sorry about that,” he mumbled as they went up to his room. “I wasn't expecting you to drop by, and I definitely was not expecting Marie to show up. Gaea failed to mention any of this.”

“Look on the bright side, it could have been worse.” Jason threw a bright grin in Nico's direction as the shorter warlock glared at him. “Come on, where's your sense of humor?”

“Lost, like your ability to make a good joke.”

Chuckling, Jason pressed a quick kiss to Nico's cheek.

Nico let out a sigh when he opened the door and found two ghosts milling about in his room. Without saying a word, Nico thrust a finger back out the door. The ghosts wailed, but left all the same. Nico shook his head and closed the door, motioning for Jason to sit down. “So,” he finally said, “what's up?”

“I can't just come over and see you?”

Smirking, Nico cocked his head to the side. “You can, but you always do seem to want to talk about something nowadays.”

“In my defense,” Jason rebutted, “I only found out I had magic a few months ago. I deserve some slack.” Jason smiled as Nico took a seat beside him on the bed, leaning back against the headboard and putting his feet in Jason's lap. “But you are right.”

“Shocker,” Nico said sarcastically, which Jason rolled his eyes at.

One hand ran along Nico's bare feet and the other squeezed the leg. “So...” Jason slowly began, “I might have heard from Kronos...” Nico arched his brow as Jason stalled the topic. “And, well, it was about this potion...” The newly pursed lips let Jason know Nico was already familiar with this particular potion, and probably what the response would be. He pressed forward nonetheless. “It makes the person that drinks it immortal like me, so that I could... you know... be with them... forever...”

Unfortunately, Nico was going to make Jason wait for the answer. A long silence followed, where Nico just stared and Jason squirmed. It was amazing how Nico could so easily make someone uncomfortable... or scared... or aroused... But that last one wasn't the point. Nico finally let out a sigh and reached out for Jason's hand. He offered it willingly and Nico pulled Jason up to sit beside him against the headboard.

“I figured it would come up eventually,” he finally whispered. His brow was furrowed and he was staring at his ring strangely. “Perhaps this isn't the best time to discuss this issue, Jason.”

“Is it the curse?”

“What? Oh. No.” Nico blinked at Jason for a moment before he sighed and leaned against his boyfriend. “However, we don't know what is going to happen when the curse breaks. I know I keep bringing that up, but it's kind of an important factor. What if you don't like me afterwards?”

“Impossible,” Jason smiled, intertwining their fingers. Nico hummed lightly, but did not pull away. He shifted against Nico. There was a tightness in his chest. It got like that whenever he was waiting for Nico to answer an important question. “I guess I shouldn't make it yet?”

“Definitely not.” It was not a surprising answer. “At least not yet. If we can break the curse, we will revisit the issue.” Nico offered Jason his best—but also weakest—smile. “Part of me really wants to be with you. Always. But there's my family. Yes, I'll still get to see them and be around them, but I have to watch as they all die. I have to watch as my friends all die, and I'll still be standing there in a body that's been frozen in time.” His thumb brushed against Jason's. “You should talk to Kronos about how it feels after a few hundred years of being immortal.”

It was not a horrible request. And it wasn't, technically, a no. Nico just wanted to revisit the issue after the curse was broken. At least he had chosen to date Jason during that time. It was still strange to think what might change about them after the curse broke? Maybe nothing would change. But what if it did?

Nothing was meant to be certain.

Perhaps a change in topic was in order. Jason did not want the silence that had fallen over the room to become awkward. “Do you really think there is a traitor?” he tried to ask. Nico's hand tensed in his grasp. Not the right topic. “Uh, I mean, the coven seems to think so. They are wanting to talk about it tonight, right?” His eyes scanned the side of Nico's face as the boy stared at the opposite wall. “You seem to be on edge with Apollo around. You can't really believe he'd murder someone in the coven?”

Suddenly, Nico was not on the bed. He got to his feet and moved to the foot of the bed. Jason blinked in confusion. Whoa. Okay, did Nico honestly believe Apollo was capable of murder. There was an anger now radiating in those dark eyes, burning hotter than any normal annoyance. Why was it that Nico never seemed to like Apollo? The guy had convinced Alabaster to cheat on Nico, and apparently was now seeing Alabaster according to Thalia. But this seemed like actual hate on Nico's part.

“Nico,” Jason said softly. He sat up and moved to the edge of the bed, brows furrowed as he watched his boyfriend pace in frustration. “Nico, talk to me. If something is bothering you, you can tell me.”

Where there was once anger, now there was sadness. It washed over him like a soft current. “I'm not supposed to talk about it,” he all but whispered. His shoulders slumped when Jason caught his hand. Nico met Jason's eyes. “If I tell you this, you cannot repeat it to anyone. Not Gaea, not Kronos, not anyone else in the coven, or even Ms. Mellie. Nobody.”

Jason slowly nodded, face covered in concern. “I promise I won't say a word.”

Letting go of Jason's hand, Nico walked over and touched the door. Light bound its way across the door and spread to each of the walls in the room. Jason was not familiar with this spell, but with what Nico had just said, Jason could only assess that it had something to do with silencing the room from outside ears. Still awash in a sadness that Jason had yet to really see on Nico, he sat down next to Jason.

“It was a few years back. A lot of us had been out playing in the woods behind the cemetery and were on our way back home.” There was something almost dead to the tone of Nico's voice, like his emotions had been shut off for this story. “I had left with Percy. Every so often, as Firsts, me and him have to go to special lessons. Since your family, my family, and Percy's family have headed this coven since it was formed.” Reaching up, Nico slid two of his fingers along the chain that was around his neck. “I should have been there. I could have helped him. Both of them. But I didn't know. How could I? Luke had made sure that most of the others were back home before he went back home himself. It was late, the moon was out, and it was very dark. He heard some raised voices as he passed by Artemis' house. And, being the concerned idiot that he is, Luke went to go see who was arguing.

“He found Apollo and Artemis' newly married husband arguing outside. This was just a day or two after Artemis found out she was pregnant with Zoë. According to Luke, Apollo didn't think Orion was good enough for his sister. Apollo, like his father, still has a bit of the old ways in him. There was a time that only witches or warlocks of note could marry others of that standing. Almost like a Pureblood vs Muggle-born in _Harry Potter_.” Nico had yet to look at Jason as he spoke. Some part of Jason just wanted to reach out and lift his boyfriend's chin. “Luke should have never been there.”

“He's alive, though,” Jason whispered.

“Artemis' husband isn't,” Nico retorted.

That was true. Jason got a sinking feeling in his stomach. He already knew where this story was going. He knew what the ending would be, what resulted from it. Because no story told by anyone in the coven ever had a happy ending. It made Jason wonder if he would tell his own story one day, perhaps to Zoë once she was old enough. Would he be telling how the curse over them was broken, but Jason lost the guy he loved? Or perhaps Nico would tell the tragic story of Jason's own demise one day. There was no guarantee that any of them would survive whatever it was that Circe had planned.

Before Nico continued, he took Jason's hand and ghosted his fingertips across Jason's palm. “He didn't use his magic, I'll give him that for being smart. Apollo just conjured a knife and jabbed it straight into Orion's throat. He cut the poor guy up pretty good. Luke tried to sneak off, while Apollo was trying to leave before anyone showed up, but he stepped on a twig.”

“Couldn't he have just teleported away?”

“It would have risked about the same amount of detection, possibly more.”

“He used the knife instead of some disease so he wouldn't be suspected?”

“Well,” Nico began to explain, “he burned out Orion's eyes and tongue.” This drew a curious look from Jason. Nico nodded. “You're probably wondering why that happened to Frank and Malcolm. If we have eyes or a tongue, we can compel the dead to give us answers. The eyes can even show those like Hera or Rachel what happened.” That was both interesting and mildly disturbing. “But if Apollo had stricken Orion with a sickness, like a plague, everyone would have known it was him.”

Without missing a beat, Jason said, “But why the knife? The magic to destroy the eyes and tongue would have still been noticeable.”

“Yes, it would.” That sadness faded a bit. Some of the anger that had once been there finally returned. “But it would definitely be something we might suspect of a succubus.” Female terminology. It obviously wasn't Apollo that got suspected or accused, as he was still a part of the coven and everything was fine. So why the feminine term? “Apollo heard Luke and grabbed him. He dragged Luke back to his house, where the two would be alone. He put that scar on Luke's face and threatened that if Luke ever breathed a word of it, Apollo would do the same to Luke that he did Orion.”

“He could have-”

“Told someone? Got Apollo in trouble? Gotten Apollo executed?” Nico finished Jason's thoughts. Jason frowned, nodding slowly. “Not so easy. It's a magical scar. If Luke were to ever accuse Apollo, it would probably kill him. The scar was put there from every injury that Luke has ever suffered and will suffer as time passes. Luke would most likely die, possibly bleed out. And types of magic like that are not so easy to fix once they are enacted.”

Oh God. Apollo had murdered a coven member. Not just that, but he had disfigured Luke and was willing to let him die. “But wait,” Jason suddenly said, “Medea's mother was accused of murdering Artemis' husband.”

Nico slowly nodded. It took a second, but it finally clicked. The knife. There was still magic used to destroy any lead the coven might get.

“Melinoe was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She showed up first to probably inspect what had happened,” Nico continued. “My family has been under watchful eyes ever since my grandfather. And Melinoe... Well, Tartarus sort of had her out wedlock with a succubus. So, as you can imagine, Medea's whole side of the family has never been fully trusted. I wouldn't be surprised if someone pointed fingers at her or Melinoe for what happened the other night.”

This was insane. Medea didn't know this, did she? She clearly didn't think her mother had done anything wrong before. Not even Hades seemed to think she had murdered someone. But she had been banished from the coven for this. From what Jason had studied of incubi and succubi, they tended to get branded and shunned from everyone in the magical community.

“Jason?”

Blinking, Jason focused on Nico. He must have been staring off for a long time. “I'm sorry. Um, so Luke is the only witness to this. Someone was accused of being a succubus and expelled from the coven, who is also affected by the curse, for something she didn't do.” He blinked again. “So, how did you find out?”

“Ah.” Nico took in a breath and finally stood back up. “It was more for the coven. Magic comes with loopholes. However, I could never tell anyone or the spell on Luke would activate. The same would apply if you were to go to Gaea and tell her.”

“Magic sucks,” Jason said bluntly as he fell back on Nico's bed. The action brought a soft smile to Nico's lips.

Was there anything that could be done for Luke? Well Nico's family did deal with death and Apollo had healing. So he decided to ask, “What if they found out without Luke telling them? Would it still activate? Would you be able to help Luke if it did? Could you bring him back if it came to that? You're powerful? Or the coven could force Apollo to resurrect maybe? There's magic like that, right?”

If that were true, though, why has the coven never brought back their dead? Maybe it was just wishful thinking. Apollo didn't deserve to get away with this.

“I'm afraid not,” Nico whispered. His face had hardened and Jason was not entirely sure where he was staring at. “There are rules in place for that, Jason. Not only are you going to upset the gods, but it's basically forbidden.” He held out a hand and a book floated over to him. It was placed beside Jason. There was a skull in the center, missing its lower jaw. “If you bring someone back to life, they won't be the same person that they were. You're basically bringing back a zombie, or Frankenstein's monster. There would be no telling what you might bring back with those good intentions.”

“I was brought back. I don't feel any different.”

Nico slowly nodded and pointed to the book again. “I'll let you borrow that. Give it a look over. There are plenty of rules to magic, there are even more when it comes to necromancy. The magic over death teeters on very dark magic if used even the slightest wrong way, even if the person has good intentions.” Jason flipped through the first few pages. It was handwritten and in old cursive. He started to get a headache within moments. “You were brought back by one of the highest of divine interventions. Nephilim can sometimes bring someone back as they were, and gods like the Triple Goddess and Baron Samedi can as well. But a witch or a warlock does not have that kind of authority.”

“No one has ever been successful?” What good was magic if it couldn't help with their problems? There had to be a loophole around what Apollo had done. “Does it take anything to use that kind of magic?”

A slow nod from Nico. “It varies from time to time, but this is the kind of magic that always comes with a price. In rare circumstances, people can trade their lives for the the dead they are trying to bring back. Only if it was immediately recent. Someone else might be taken from you.”

What?

“To give life back to something, a life must be offered as payment.”

“Always?”

“Always,” Nico replied solemnly. “It's the balance of nature. But, as I said, you won't be bringing the person back whole. They would never be completely as they were before they died.”

\--------------------------------------

School was not any better after a few days off. Classes were absolutely abysmal. Before each class would start, most of the students in the classroom would silently whisper and stare at Jason. Not that they were being subtle about it. “Can you believe they sacrificed Malcolm and Frank for their devil rituals?” one girl said.

“I wouldn't be surprised if God himself struck them down,” a boy next to her whispered.

Calculus had been hard. Annabeth was still staying home, too upset to do otherwise. According to Nico, Hazel was doing the same. But being in Calculus and looking at Malcolm's empty desk left Jason with a pit in the bottom of his stomach. He was just glad when English rolled around. With Hestia being the teacher, the students were less talkative. They did have a test, though, but that just left time afterwards for students to whisper to each other.

“I wish I could have stayed home last week,” Eros sighed, palm pressed to his cheek with a bored expression plastered across his face.

Reyna, who had opted to come to class, just mumbled, “I'm surprised they let you out of the house on your own.”

“I feel so trusted.”

Rachel gave him a curious look and Eros slightly tensed. It would be strange, since they rarely talked, but Rachel saw the future. Which did beg the question of what she knew about the nephilim. She did not say anything, though, just went back to sketching in her notebook. Not even Percy got to look in that thing, and not for a lack of trying. “You shouldn't worry about the future,” Rachel had said once after Percy pouted.

The bell rang and freed them from one of the last classes of the day. As they exited, they found Luke waiting against the adjacent wall. He handed Reyna a note. “Mellie gave that to me a minute again,” he said. “Your uncle wants you to come home. Maybe check on Annabeth on the way home, she's not doing so great today.”

Pocketing the note after looking it over, Reyna nodded and said, “Yeah, sure.” Taking in a deep breath, the witch sighed. “Guess I'll be heading home.” Rachel squeezed her hand as Reyna headed in the direction of the office.

Blue eyes darted down the hall as Jason spotted a familiar head of black hair. His lips turned up into a smile as he watched Nico walk with Will towards them. Nico was just going to pass by with a wave towards Jason, but that was not going to fly. Jason caught Nico's hand and pulled him closer to press a kiss to Nico's cheek.

A light flush covered Nico's cheek and both Luke and Will snickered. “Aren't they adorable?” Will teased, swiftly getting an elbow to the stomach from Nico. “It was a compliment!”

Grumbling, Nico said, “Let's just hurry to class.” Jason smiled and tilted his head to watch as Nico went to the far end of the hall with Will in tow. Nico turned as he was about to round the corner and looked at Jason, who smiled. It made Jason smile to himself as Nico's face turned pink and he rushed off.

“You two seem to be doing well,” Luke assessed.

“Yeah,” Jason agreed, “we are. I can only hope it stays that way. Oh.” His hand reached out to catch Rachel's attention as she turned to go. “Rachel, uh, I was wondering something.” The witch stared up at him. “You and Hera don't know what Circe might be up to, do you? Maybe a glimpse of the future to help things along.” He leaned in, so nobody around but him, Rachel, and Luke could hear, “She's looking for a book. I don't suppose you might know where it is?”

A smile touched at her lips and then she chuckled. “Afraid it doesn't work that way, Jason.” Her massive curls of red hair shook with her head. “I can't say what's to happen. The future is too uncertain right now. Something is blocking my visions.” Her head shook again, this time with a sigh. “And Hera... well, she has been having trouble seeing things so clearly with the drinking she does some nights. Not that it isn't the first time the coven has even been told that-” Her eyes shot open wide as she covered her mouth.

“What?” Jason's brow furrowed as he waited for her to clarify herself.

But Rachel just shook her head with lips pursed in a thin line. “Nothing.” Her eyes darted to Luke, whose face grew hard. “Nothing. Forget I said anything.”

Clearing his throat, Luke motioned with his thumb over his shoulder. “I'm gonna... get to class.”

He didn't make it anywhere, though. Eros caught his shirt and pulled Luke down. Luke's eyebrows shot up as he leaned down and Eros leaned up. And then Eros had a hand on the back of Luke's head and Jason's jaw dropped. Eros full on kissed Luke, intensely and clearly had his tongue in the blond warlock's mouth. Rachel was unmoving just as Jason was, clearly not having seen that coming. In fact, all of the students around them had stopped dead in their tracks to gawk at Luke and Eros.

When they finally broke apart, Luke slowly stood up straight again. His entire face was the deepest shade of red that Jason had ever witnessed on a person before. It sank all the way down his neck and under his shirt. “Wh-” Luke clamped his mouth shut, eyes darting between Eros and the ground. “Why did you kiss me?” he demanded.

Confusion was evident on Eros' face. It was the exact expression that he had when Jason explained that people had to sleep to gain their energy, which Eros had replied that it wasted so much of their lives. The fact that the nephilim was an immortal being went unmentioned.

“I...” Eros turned his eyes to Jason. “Do you not kiss someone that you like?” His finger was pointed directly at Jason. “I thought that was why he kissed Nico? Is it not an affectionate greeting or way to say goodbye?”

Now Luke was looking at Jason for answers. “Uh,” Jason just said, “I'll talk to him.” He didn't even wait for Luke to respond before he had Eros by the arm and dragged him to the back stairwell. Once they were under the stairs and out of earshot, Jason whirled on the nephilim. “What was that? You don't go around kissing people.”

“You kiss Nico all the time,” Eros rationalized.

“We are dating.”

“Dating...” The way Eros said it sounded more like a question than a statement. Then his face cleared and he just said, “You know, I understand that mortals procreate with sex, but I never really understood the fascination with it.” There was more confusion on his face. “You and Nico clearly can't have children.”

Now it was Jason's turn to have his face go red. “Uh, we... uh... It's not so much... about making kids. It's, uh, more about, you know, the enjoyment... of doing... it...” Eros arched a brow at him. “You know, with each other. It's enjoyable.”

“So I should bed Luke?”

“What? Whoa.” Jason held up his hands. “Little fast there. I know you said you feel things that the mortal Eros did, but you really shouldn't just spring a kiss on someone like that. It's usually done in private the first time, and with the consent of the other person.”

Eros' brow was furrowed. “But Luke wanted this body. He had... feelings,” again it sounded like a question, “for the real Eros.” He huffed and crossed his arms. “These feelings. How do you deal with them? They are driving me insane.”

Jason smiled and touched Eros' shoulder. “If he makes you happy that's good. Just, you know, talk to him before you kiss him again. You might want to make sure he feels that way about you.” He shook his head with a sigh. It was like dealing with a kid. “It's not so much about the body, but rather the person.”

A frown crossed Eros' lips and his arms fell. “Well,” he began, “I do get this funny feeling whenever I'm around him.” His fingers hovered at his waist. “And when I had to stay at his house, he came out of the shower in a towel, and I got that strange feeling. Then I got-”

“Whoa!” Jason had shot his hand out and grabbed Eros' wrists. The nephilim had begun to undo his pants. Jason's eyes were now wide. “I really do not need to know about that. We don't usually discuss arousal so casually.”

“Why not?”

“We just don't.”

A very long sigh came from Jason as he slumped against the wall. Exactly like a child. But he did have Eros alone to talk. He checked his phone. The bell was literally about to ring. That would not do. Kronos would probably chide him for doing it, but Jason pulled the rune that he had been given out of his pocket and used it to focus his magic. While there wasn't anyone moving to check to make sure it worked, Jason knew it had. Everything felt... still. The halls were silent.

Eros was smirking at him. “Something else I can help you with?” He flicked some dust off his jeans. “I did already tell you that I can't simply end a contract. You'll have to offer-”

“Not about that,” Jason interrupted him. “But it does have to do with the mortal Eros.”

This brought a quirk to the nephilim's brow. There would probably never come a time that it was not weird to talk to the nephilim about the boy that the body had belonged to. It was so strange to look into those green eyes and know that he was not actually talking to his old friend.

Jason cleared his throat and said, “You know that Eros is dead...”

In response, Eros looked down at himself and checked himself over. “I feel fine.”

“No, no. The mortal Eros.”

“I know who you meant.” Eros motioned for Jason to continue.

How was he supposed to know when the nephilim understood anything? “We both know that the mortal Eros is dead. Everyone in the coven does. But the rest of the town has no idea.” A hand ran through Jason's growing hair as he let out a sigh. He probably needed to cut it soon, but there didn't seem like any time for him to actually see to it. “There's no grave for him.” The nephilim was blinking at him and Jason was unsure if he was actually following along. “Even if there isn't a body to bury, I feel it's only appropriate to make some sort of grave marker for him. But I just wanted to make sure that it was okay with you.”

A silence fell over the two of them. Thankfully, Eros eventually gave a single nod. “That is very kind of you. I'm sure he would have liked that.” Another nod. “Yes.” His eyes pierced Jason like a knife as his lips fell into a thin line. “I don't think you really deserved this life, not with your kind soul. And I can only hope you keep that light of yours in the days to come.”

What? Jason turned as Eros began walking out from under the stairs. “Wait... what does that mean?” He grabbed the nephilim's wrist as someone stepped around the corner. “Eros, what does that mean?”

But Eros did not answer. Instead, he looked up into the eyes of Octavian, who was staring down at him with a cold look void of emotions. He looked from Eros to Jason and said, “Jason Grace.”

“Well,” Jason slowly said, “you know, you can just use my first name. That's pretty standard.”

Then something hit him. The rune was still radiating warmth in Jason's hand. Looking around Octavian told Jason that time was still frozen. His blue eyes shot back to Octavian with shock. Realization slowly washed over him. This was not Octavian.

As Jason attempted to reach his hand up to grab Eros and run, he found that his body could not move. An animalistic yellow color took over Octavian's eyes. He raised a hand and said, “Calm yourself, Jason Grace. If I meant to do you harm, you would not be standing right now.”

Eros did not seem alarmed at all. “Old friend,” he calmly said.

“You know him?” Jason asked. Eros nodded.

Jason's body was released from the magic that held him and he felt the warmth of the rune fade away. Time flowed normally again and students quickly ran by to get to their classes. Octavian just stared back at the two of them with an emotionless stare. “I just came here looking for our missing nephilim. He tells me that my presence was frowned up, as it drew a lot of attention.” His head was bowed in respect to Jason. “Please, tell your coven that I meant no harm by my entrance. We could just no longer sense this one.”

Staring at Eros from the corner of his eye, Jason waited for him to respond. Nothing came, though. Instead, Jason said, “I will let them know. Uh, thank you... I think... for revealing yourself to us.” He tugged on Eros' shirt, but Eros did not budge. “You okay?”

“I'll be fine,” Eros muttered. His head turned to look directly into Jason's eyes. “Get to class.”

As he walked by, Jason glanced at Octavian—er, the nephilim—again. It nodded at him and the yellow color faded from his eyes. Unlike Eros now, this nephilim reminded Jason of how the one in Eros was before he was bound in the body. There was something almost primal to those eyes. Even if it claimed to come in peace, it filled Jason with a cold sense of dread just staring at the nephilim.

\-------------------------------

Later in the day, Jason found himself with Gaea for training. Kronos had been consumed with research, along with Athena, after Marie had shown up in town. Apparently, they had found some interesting information in that book that Marie had brought, but had yet to share it. Jason was hunched over, hands on his knees, as his body fought its urge to hurl.

Gaea was teaching him how to move through time and space during a fight, so that he could teleport. Hell, he still had to polish up on teleporting outside of stressful situations. Doing it slowly was all he had barely been able to do so far. Doing it in an instant by his standard was so much harder. And it was taking its toll on his body. Gaea handed him a vial of green liquid, which he downed without question.

His body tingled as the cold liquid flowed down his throat and then felt like something sharp hit his stomach. She was watching him quietly. Jason had told the coven about the new nephilim. It had got him out of most of his lessons for the day, since the coven had to convene an emergency meeting, but it was also what led to this particular lesson.

Whenever he ported his body to a new location, his body felt like it was twisting and being torn apart. Then, when he came back to his new location, everything inside of him felt like it was on fire and jumbled around.

“I-” Jason began but had to shut his mouth out of fear of throwing up. His stomach calmed after another swig of liquid. “You know, I don't understand why I have to have lessons with Hera. After months, all she's taught me was how to look at tarot cards.”

Gaea had another tonic ready in case Jason needed it. She sat down in a chair that was positioned under a tree. “It's not like everyone can perceive the future.”

“Yeah, but I can see the future, right? That's how time works, right?” Jason asked. He eyed the rest of the tonic in his hand before he tossed it back and downed the rest. “I haven't seen the future or been to it yet, but I thought that it was something I could eventually learn to do.”

“As with going to the past,” Gaea began, “glimpsing the future can be dangerous. It's why we are trying to prepare you with everything we can before we let you go on a journey through time.” She shook her head when Jason's eyes lit up. “You have a long way to go.” A sigh escaped her lips as she reached for a fan. “However... if your magic keeps progressing like it has, you'll probably make a time jump before we've prepared you. This is why your father made a poor decision with binding your magic. You now have all your powers, but still don't fully understand how to use them. It's why we teach the kids of the coven at a young age to begin understand what they can do.”

“I almost gained physical form last time.”

Gaea just replied, “You'll have to be careful. But to answer your question, Hera and Rachel can only see glimpses of the future. Not the past. They can, however, identify pieces of someone's past by touching them, reading their cards, or some other way. They dream the future, but only in fragments. They'll never be able to fully understand it that way. You could actually go there and see the full event of what they perceived.” She held the other vial up for Jason, who shook his head. It was placed on the table for later. “In many ways, though, they have the safer power. As I said, it would not be good if you took physical form in the past or future before you were ready.”

“Can Hera teach me how to see someone's past?” Jason asked.

“You can do that with your own powers.” Gaea stood up and closed the fan against her other palm. “Well, in ways. Other witches and warlocks.” Her hand was held out for Jason to take. “You can be shown moments just by having them think about it. And take them there mentally. Or physically, but that obviously comes with risks.” She dangled her hand again and this time Jason took it. “Here, let me show you.”

And, with that, they vanished. Jason gripped Gaea's hand tight as the world swirled around them. It was like stars shooting by, but it was actually things like trees quickly shrinking, water drying up, moving across the ocean, and watching as civilization changed around them.

Before them was now a castle with a township around it. Gaea tugged Jason's hand as they began walking. There were market stalls and a dirt road worn by horse travel. People yelled from the stalls as shoppers in poor dress milled around. Knights marched through the town and on top of the stone wall of the castle. They all bore a red crest with a golden dragon in the center of it.

Strangely enough, there were even some dressed in robes and carried staves. Were they...? Gaea calmly strolled through the streets, though no one noticed them. “It was a very long time ago that I walked these streets. As an immortal, anything over a thousand years feels like nothing more than a dream.”

“Where are we?” Jason asked.

“Camelot,” Gaea said like it was obvious. She smirked upon seeing Jason's eyes shoot open wide. “Arthur had already died when I came here, and Merlin was long gone. The war that had claimed the former's life had already passed and was being written into legend.”

A tingling sensation shot through Jason's fingertips right before they were ripped through time again. Now they stood somewhere inside a building. It was a long hallway that led to a giant set of wooden doors. The ceiling was a dome that loomed far overhead. A few people chatted as they made their way around the giant building.

“This is Sanctuary, the home of the High Coven,” Gaea explained. “At least how it was back in the 1800s.” Jason wanted to go and look inside the giant doors, but Gaea kept herself planted. She shook her head. “You can't go inside that chamber. Magic is prohibited inside. We would be exposed. However, this is the day I was appointed to be the head of the High Coven.” The tingling sensation was already returning to Jason's hand. “I was already in America by then. The last High Coven had been killed or scattered to the winds during all of the witch trials. When it was rebuilt to its old strength, I was elected to be its head.”

Right before the jumped, Jason found himself latching onto to that spark. They were jerked to a stop and ended up falling to the ground. Gaea let out a groan as she looked up. Jason stared at the log cabins before him. They were poorly made living structures. Most were huts made of thrown together wood. A wooden perimeter had been built around the small settlement.

But there was Gaea, standing with a man that almost looked like Kronos, but only in particular parts of the face. She looked happy, probably happier than Jason had ever seen her. Jason was yanked to his feet and turned to face the Gaea from his time.

The ground shot out from under them as Gaea yanked them out of this time and traveled them all the way back to the present. When they hit the present, Gaea let go and Jason stumbled back and tripped. “No,” was all Gaea said at first. She walked over to the table and retrieved the green tonic, but this one was for her. She downed it in one swift motion. “I do not like revisiting that time.”

“Where were we?” Jason asked as he got up and dusted himself off.

“That was Roanoke.”

“The lost colony?” Jason stared at Gaea as his mouth slowly opened. “You were there...” His eyes grew wide as he looked his great-grandmother over, “before the colony vanished. Do you know what happened?”

“Jason,” Gaea snapped in warning. “Let it go. I do not wish to speak on the matter.” With that, she rose to her feet and began walking back to the house. “Your lessons are concluded for the day, but tomorrow we will work for an extra hour.”

A groan emanated from Jason's throat as he slumped into the chair that Gaea had vacated. It definitely left him with many questions about Gaea's past. What had taken her to Camelot? And what had happened to her during her days at Roanoke?

Unfortunately, it was not the last glimpse of the past for Jason that day. Much later that night, Jason found himself walking a few steps behind a younger Kronos that was pushing his way through some woods. He had on a Union uniform, but the hat was gone. Kronos stepped over a downed tree and stopped at the edge of where dead grass began. Jason, invisible to Kronos, looked over his shoulder. Trees had fallen over and grass was black. A faint black smoke filled the air. Kronos began walking forward.

There was a cold sensation that enveloped Jason's hand when he went to follow. He looked beside him to find Nico standing there. He opened his mouth and was surprised when he actually said, “Where are we?”

Nico's face contorted for a second. “I believe this is in Tennessee. Just outside a town. I believe there was a battle going on nearby? Tartarus came to find Kronos, but...” He nodded his head and the two began to follow Kronos.

In the center of the desecrated land was Tartarus. He was crouched by several bodies that were slightly blackened and covered in blood. The red life blood coated most of Tartarus' arms. The back of Tartarus' neck had a grayish tint to it in spots.

“Tartarus,” Kronos called out.

The other warlock shot to his feet and spun around. Those same gray marks were along Tartarus' face. His eyes were filled with this sickening murky gray color. Jason couldn't even tell if Tartarus was focused in his attention.

“This is where his descent began,” Nico confessed. He didn't need to whisper, but he did. “Well, killing his father was the beginning of it, but this was where it really started.”

Kronos had reached Tartarus. “What are you doing?” He motioned to the people. “Did you kill them? Why?”

“Can you not feel the power, Kronos?” Tartarus rasped. “It was immense. I could feel their blood calling to me, offering me their power.” He turned his body slightly. “Try some. It's incredible.”

A dark look covered Kronos' face. “Tartarus,” he began, “I think you're sick. You know where this path leads.” As he spoke, the dark tints faded from Tartarus' skin and the murky color faded from his eyes. This elicited a sigh of relief from Kronos. “You don't need to keep doing this. If you do, you know what you will become. You don't want to be one of those things.” His hand reached out and touched Tartarus' arm. A knife that Tartarus had been holding fell to the ground. “You don't need to do this. You don't need to be stronger. You have no need to defend yourself. Your father is dead. Nobody is going to hurt you now.”

Even as Kronos enveloped Tartarus in a hug, Jason could feel the darkness radiating off of Tartarus. If he felt it, surely Kronos did too. It was like the very veil was threatening to be ripped open around Tartarus.

Was this what an incubus looked like after he transformed?

\---------------------------------

On Saturday, the coven had met to discuss the situation. They had their suspicions about the dagger they were searching for and some were paranoid about the new nephilim's arrival, but they had not let anyone into the chamber to listen in. Only the Heads of House and the Firsts.

Jason was seated outside of Luke's house, sitting on the steps, as he watched the Stolls teach Castor and Pollux a new trick to try on their teachers at school that involved causing their food to look like maggots. Reyna had been called to the meeting as well. While the coven had not said anything yet, Jason had to wonder if she was going to take Frank's place as First to Ares.

He really wanted to talk to Luke about what Nico told him, but he also worried that it might have repercussions. However, after two hours had passed, it became clear that they probably weren't going to have a short meeting. While Jason watched both sets of twins try and cause chaos, he got to his feet and made his way back to his house to retrieve his car.

He drove into town and went to the suburb that he had lived in just a few months ago. Jason parked his car on the curb by Ms. Mellie's house and got out of the car. He walked across the lawn, but stopped midway as the door opened. Out came Octavian and he caught Jason's eyes. One look in those eyes and it told Jason that it was still the nephilim. It nodded as Jason, but said nothing as it moved down the street.

As Jason went inside, he found Mellie seated on her couch. She looked visibly shaken, staring down at the floor as she wrung her hands. “Is everything all right?” he asked.

Mellie startled and looked up at Jason. “Oh. I didn't hear you come in. Jason, please, have a seat.” Wiping at her face, Mellie got up and motioned to where she had just been on the couch. “Let me get you something to drink.”

Again, he asked, “Is everything all right?”

Her eyes glanced at the door as she poured them both some tea. It was clear that she knew that the thing that had just left her house was not really Octavian. As he accepted his drink, Jason frowned. He was just trying to piece together why she would be upset. Well, other than the fact that mortals would probably all find nephilim terrifying.

“I met that one,” Mellie began suddenly, but also very quietly, “a long time ago. I had already met Lupa, but I had no idea about the coven here. I barely knew anything about magic back then.” She sat down and put both hands on her cup of tea. There was a heavy look to her, worry weighing her down. “I made a deal with that one back then.”

“What?” Jason nearly choked on his tea, the cup almost falling from his hand. “Why would you make a deal with it?”

It was clear that Mellie was already kicking herself for this, so Jason softened his expression and moved closer to Mellie. “I didn't feel like I had a choice. As you probably know by now, I've been romantically involved with Coach Hedge for a while. Even back then. But there was an accident.” Her head fell and Jason finally noticed how untidy her hair was today. It hung in strands in her face. “Gleeson was going to die. Several members of the coven happened across me and him, and they offered to help. Unfortunately, he was already dead. There was nothing they could do.”

Suddenly, Nico's words filled Jason's ears. What was dead was meant to be dead. They never came back the same. Unless a god or nephilim got involved. And a deal with a nephilim never fell into the favor of the person that made the deal.

“I suppose I looked desperate. I didn't want to lose him,” Mellie whispered. “They said I could take Gleeson to a crossroads and told me what to do if I wanted him back bad enough. They did warn me to tread carefully with this, but I didn't listen. I just thought I could get him back.” Her eyes were staring down into her tea, but Jason knew she wasn't really looking at it. “I summoned a nephilim. And I was so confused to find someone that I knew standing there. But it made me a deal. It would bring back Gleeson for a price. I didn't even bother to find out the price before I signed my name.”

“But there was the thing about the baby?”

Slowly, Mellie nodded. “Yes, the price was for my firstborn. And it's true, I'm pregnant. Eros... your other nephilim... told me that the nephilim I made the deal with would show up soon. It was why he gave me those warnings a while back. And now it's here.” As tears filled her eyes, the woman cradled her stomach. “It's going to take my baby when it's born.”

Part of Jason wanted to tell Mellie about what Eros had told him about exchanging a life for the deal, but Jason was worried that Mellie would offer herself instead. There had to be another way. His jaw clenched. If he did what Eros wanted, and killed the mortal Eros' father, maybe the nephilim would tell him how to fix this. But could Jason murder someone, even someone as vile as that man?

Looking back up, Jason asked, “Did you know Lupa made a deal with a nephilim to bring me back to life?”

Quickly, Mellie shook her head, confusion spread across her face. “No,” she confessed, “I didn't. What? What's going to happen to her?”

“Nothing. Not if I can help it.”

He just hoped that was true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to clarify, Luke was able to tell Nico because Nico would not expose Apollo for what he did. And the same goes for Jason, as Nico knew he could trust Jason. But now you know the real reason Nico doesn't like Apollo. And the other nephilim is revealed. Not sure how long it will be around, but it does connect to the arc of Mellie and the baby, so we will see. And I hope you enjoyed the glimpse into Gaea's past. This was also, as I realized while planning this chapter, the first glimpse any of you have seen of a succubus or incubus. Although, Tartarus never made the full transformation. If there is any confusion, they are basically blood mages, but it's where the legends of vampires came from in this story. They use blood to gain power and it corrupts them, and their bodies grow deformed.
> 
> I really can't say how much longer the fic has, but I know that very soon things will kind of explode. Another thing I wanted to talk about concerns the books. I sometimes get asked weekly or montly, but usually by the same people. And I just wanted to put this out there as a statement. It's not easy making a book. Yes, the fic made it so the first book is technically done, but there's so much I have to go back and do to it. I don't have it ready to be sent off yet. Because I'm dividing my time between real life, having fun, writing fics, and preparing the book. Asking me every week how it's coming is only going to get the same answer. Not much will change in a week. Like, I don't think a lot of you fully understand the process of getting a book published, or the work that goes into it before it even gets accepted. I had people not long ago asking if anyone has accepted to publish it yet, and I'm not even done making notes on the last few chapters for what I'm changing. Book one will still retain the core elements, but it will not look the same. I will say that right now. A lot of the same stuff will happen, but in a different way and some parts will even be swapped for new material.
> 
> My point here is that I am always making changes on the book. It is not ready for publishing. I run across plot holes that need fixing. I have a better idea. I realize a scene doesn't work for a character now that they aren't PJO characters. The list goes on. There's a reason I said several chapters ago that I was going to refrain from talking about my book. It's because I can't discuss it on the grounds of its ever changing status. Not to mention it's not done and asking stresses me out. So please, I just ask that you please stop asking. It's not one person, or even like five. It's more than that. And I just really need it to stop, because asking just reminds me of how much more I have to get done on it. When I'm finished with all of this, I will make an announcement for when I'm sending it off to find a publisher. I will then announce when it's been accepted. Until then, you all have to understand that the fic is for you free public viewing, and I will discuss it all day long. But the book is not public yet and I would just prefer not to discuss it until I have book one finished.
> 
> Okay. Now that I got that out of the way, I do hope you enjoyed the chapter. Let me know what you thought with a review, they are always appreciated. I have a busy week ahead of me, because I promised a friend I would write her a special Children of Loss Lukeros chapter for her birthday. And I have like a week to outline that and get it done, on top of everything else.


	30. The Beginning of the End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been a few months. I'll say it took so long for two reasons. The first is that a lot has been going on. I had to move apartments early for starters. Just a lot of stress besides that. The second reason is that it was very depressing waiting for reviews after posting the last chapter. Like normally I wake up to several the next morning, but I don't think I had a single one right away. Or maybe they'd come like one every two or three days. It's always depressing to write and put forth effort on that, and then not getting reviews kind of makes it seem like a failure or waste of time. I think I messaged one or two people and asked what the point was of me posting the fic at this point. Like I'm still going to finish it, since it's so close to the end for the fic, but there's a reason I updated my klance fic twice since I last updated this.
> 
> But I finally brought myself back to this fic. I did a lot of changing with the book and am planning on starting the rewrites this weekend. So hopefully I can have a draft ready to look over within maybe two months. Depending on how much time I put into it. And I'm sure I'll have to rewrite things in that draft. I did actually enjoy writing this chapter. I am hoping I did not look over any critical emotions like I've been known to do before, but I'm sure I'll find out. Also, as a reminder, Beckendorf and Silena got engaged. I'm pretty sure I included that in a chapter while Lee and Cecil were around. I just wanted to make sure nobody thought I was just throwing it in. And if someone goes back and finds it not in a previous chapter, I also apologize. But enough about all that. Let's get on with the chapter.

Footsteps fell softly on the steps leading down to the basement of the di Angelo house. Hushed voices could be heard from down below. Holding a lantern up to his face, Kronos peered down the stairs, where the low candlelight flickered. Jason, invisible to his grandfather's past self, put one foot on the steps and felt a tug at his sleeve.

He turned to find Nico standing there, though the boy did not seem fully whole. He seemed much... less. Fragments of his face seemed smudged and much of his body lacked any sort of color. Nico shook his head at Jason and said, “You shouldn't go down there. Even in a reflection of the past.”

“I'm not controlling where I'm taken to see things, I would like to point out,” Jason just replied. Nico frowned at the response. “It's not like any sort of spirit is going to get me, and I already know your grandfather was sadistic.” A grin slid across Jason's lips. “At least now I know where you get your dirty bedroom kinks.”

Red sure did appear on Nico's face, though the rest of him remained colorless. “I do not have any kinks!”

The remark did distract Nico long enough for Jason to wink and slip down the stairs after his grandfather. Jason stood there close to the bottom and peered back up, waiting. Nico, however, did not come down. Jason sighed and turned his attention back just as Kronos started to yell.

“What is the meaning of this?”

Sat in the center of the room, in the very middle of blood markings on the floor, was Tartarus with that very book that Circe was looking for. Not only that, but Circe herself was hovering over her brother's shoulder. Like Nico, she seemed much less, but in a different way. Nico lacked color, but Circe just seemed to lack physicality. Jason much preferred her this way, rather than now when she was using his mother's body. Her specter loomed over her brother, glaring up at Kronos for disturbing them.

“Why is she still on this side of the veil?” Kronos continued. He chose to ignore Tartarus in favor of having a glaring contest with Circe. It was hard to say who won.

Without looking up, Tartarus casually mumbled, “She has been far more helpful with my research than you have been.”

“Your research,” Kronos scoffed in such a way that Jason could feel the venom that laced Kronos' tongue. “Your research has the coven wondering if you are best suited to remain with us, or if you are too much of a liability. This 'endeavor' of yours has put us all at risk of exposure.” He motioned in Circe's direction and took a step towards Tartarus. “Do you think she cares what befalls you or the rest of us? Or have you forgotten who helped put her in the noose?”

Both Circe and Tartarus snapped their heads up to glare. Tartarus sat the book aside and stood up. Jason craned his neck to look at it. Even if he wasn't fully there, he really didn't want to step into some necromantic circle. It was turned to the beginning of a chapter. The symbol on the page did not ring any bells for anything that Jason had ever seen before. Which, technically, could be attributed to two facts. First, he had barely scratched the surface on his magic studies. Second, it was from a book that was probably akin to the Book of the Damned.

It somewhat resembled a tree, but only in the most vague sense of the word. The top seemed odd and misshapen. The tree, however, seemed to resemble an hourglass more than the trunk of a tree. The roots were lined with skulls and corpses, spreading out into a seemingly near endless expanse of graves.

“You dare speak to me of such things?” Tartarus hissed. As he did, Circe peered down at the book. It was like she didn't even care that they were discussing the fact that they had been responsible for having her hanged. “It was your mother that suggested it. And for what? To hide the lack of honor that her son possesses?”

Without hesitation, Kronos replied, “If I'm guilty, then we share in that guilt.”

Tartarus opened his mouth to snarl back a reply, but he then found his sister's ghost peering at the book. With a stomp of his foot, the entire house shook and the book slammed closed. “You will not look at that without my supervision!” As if chains pulled her back, Circe jerked back from the book with a glare at her brother. Then Tartarus turned back to Kronos and pointed a finger at him. “We are done here. Show yourself out and do not enter my house again without my permission.”

“Tartarus, you have to see-”

“See?” Tartarus hissed. “I see better than I ever have. I see that you're all afraid, and maybe with good reason. They want to banish me? Fine, so be it.” The book shot up into Tartarus' arms and he carried it over and dropped it on a table. “Your mother is just afraid that someone actually might surpass her.”

“And by doing what, using the life force of others to fuel that power?” Kronos demanded. He had moved closer, practically right behind Tartarus, who did not want to face him. “At least my mother gained her powers respectably. I don't think you could say the same.”

Snapping around, Tartarus latched a hand to one of the suspenders that Kronos was wearing and jerked him closer. “Get. Out.” He let go and glared at Kronos. “Do not make me repeat myself again.”

Kronos did step back, he did move towards the stairs. He shook his head before he left and quietly said, “Would you kill me for disagreeing with you?”

As he left, Tartarus stiffened where he stood hunched over the book. Quietly, he put his hands on the table and let out a sigh. The door up the stairs slammed shut to signal the departure of Kronos. Not only that, but the departure of Jason. He shot up in his bed and immediately rolled over to silence his alarm.

The problem was he found himself unable to properly sit back up after he did so. His stomach felt horrible and there was a light pounding in his head. His muscles ached like he had just run ten miles with the flu. And his weight got the better of him as he fell forward out of bed and onto the floor. Jason let out a groan as he laid there, feet still tangled in his sheets. How could he possibly be sick? Yes it was winter and yes there had been sick people at school, but how was he sick?

Especially this sick. Jason could barely bring himself to stand. In fact, he barely got to his feet when his legs gave out and Jason found himself back on the floor. This was getting him nowhere. So, Jason did the only other thing he could possibly think to do.

“Help!”

Magic would be great, really. He could just make himself be in Gaea or Kronos' room. The problem was that, not only was his body weak, but his magic was as well. He let out a sigh as he waited.

About a minute later, the door opened and Kronos peered down at him with a raised eyebrow and a cup of coffee in his hand. “Having trouble getting out of bed?”

“Ha ha,” Jason mumbled sarcastically. He attempted to get up again and fell, but this time he at least fell onto his bed. “I don't know what's wrong with me? I think I'm sick with something.”

Kronos literally sat his coffee in the air and walked over to Jason's bed. He took hold of Jason's chin and looked him over. Jason let out a yelp when his foot was raised into the air for inspection, which he really did not understand why. Kronos let go of the foot and said, “You're cursed sick.”

“What?” Jason forced himself to sit up against the head of his bed. “How do I-” Jason blinked and then Kronos was standing there, holding Nico by the shoulders. Nico swayed as he stood there, clearly not feeling well himself. “Nico?”

Kronos helped Nico into Jason's bed and then stood back. “Congratulations. This is the cure. You get to spend the morning with your boyfriend.” Both Nico and Jason glanced at each other. “I'll call your father, Nico, and let him know I brought you here. Then I'll call Mellie and let her know that you two will be out today at school.”

Not even waiting for them to reply, Kronos grabbed his coffee from where it had been placed in the middle of the air and walked out the door. Nico's head fell against Jason's shoulder, though Jason was not sure if it was intentional or not. His stomach did feel a little better already, but his body still felt drained.

“I'm confused,” Jason groaned as he worked an arm around Nico's shoulders, “why is this just happening all of a sudden?”

Nico felt cold, but had sweat all over his forehead and his hair was matted to his face. “It's the byproduct of the curse. We've been too close, so this is our punishment.”

It felt laughable, but the pain in Jason's body did prevent him from doing so. Maybe not so laughable. “And this is the cure?” Jason asked. “We just spend time together?” Nico barely gave a nod. “So, the curse punishes us by forcing us to be together.”

With much strain, Nico tilted his head to glare up at Jason. “Think about this long-term. You and I can never be apart for very long. If we get too close, this happens. On the bright side...” He paused to groan and roll over, curling into Jason. “On the bright side, the other alternative is that we always fight until we hate each other. But then we'd be apart and feel like shit. Which means that, if we fight—and the curse will probably make sure that we will—the only way to prevent this from happening, is to be around each other. Which, you know, normally you don't want to be around the person you are fighting with.”

The smile that Jason threw on did take some work. He just gently rubbed Nico's back. “I could think of worse curses than being forced to spend time with you.”

A soft chuckle escaped Nico. He leaned his head back and said, “Shut up, Jason.” Then kissed him.

\---------------------------------------

The two didn't get out of bed until after lunch, having gotten more sleep. However, Jason did feel much better when he got up this time. Nico seemed much better himself. Jason leaned across the bed and sealed their lips together in a searing hot kiss. Nico followed Jason as he pulled back and that was how Jason ended up with Nico in his lap on the edge of the bed.

He smirked and dipped his hand into the back of Nico's pajamas to feel his ass. Nico bit down on his lip and then leaned in to kiss Jason again. “We need to get up,” he said. Jason let out a sigh. “I doubt Kronos is going to let you get away with doing nothing all day, not when there is so much more you need to learn about magic.” Jason then groaned and rolled his eyes. Magic was great and cool, but damn it was a lot of work and rules. “But... I might be willing to pick this up later tonight, if you want.”

“Of course,” Jason whispered as he leaned in to kiss Nico again. “So you'll stay the night?” Nico shrugged, smirked at the pout from Jason, then nodded. “I mean, it would suck to wake up like that again tomorrow morning. I guess, if we must, we'll just have to spend the night with each other. It's just torture, I know.”

Nico rolled his eyes and got off Jason's lap. He walked away and headed for Jason's bathroom, yanking his shirt over his head. The shirt was dropped in the doorway as Nico disappeared inside, though he left the door wide open. Jason shot up from the bed. He knew an invitation when he saw it.

They didn't wait to pick things up later.

They might have spent a good thirty minutes in the shower, and Nico's legs might have been a little wobbly afterwards. But they did make it out, dressed, and headed downstairs. Jason smiled to himself as he watched Nico walk ahead of him. He really appreciated the big house and the privacy. He could only hope, though, that Kronos or Gaea didn't hear Nico being loud like Kronos heard Jason earlier when he was on the floor. Hopefully the water drowned things out. Not that Jason minded Nico being loud. He very much enjoyed listening to it while they were having shower sex.

Kronos stood on the other side of the kitchen when they entered, watching food magically prepare itself on the stove. “Glad you two finally got up.”

Nico gave a small wave to Kronos and then tugged on Jason's hand. “I'm going to get going. My dad will probably want me for something, I just know it.” He leaned up and kissed Jason on the cheek with a smile. “Text you later.”

When he left, Jason was left standing there with a goofy grin. Kronos blinked at him. “You should really learn how to muffle walls. I think that's a good spell for you to learn.”

Color flooded Jason's face as he fumbled for words. “Did you hear us?”

“No.” Kronos arched a brow and got a plate, which the food all levitated on to. “But you were both clearly just in the shower, and Nico walked out of here with a limp. Plus I was young and in love once, I know what happens when left alone.”

It would be marvelous if Jason's face would stop being red. His ears felt like they were on fire. As he sat down at the island, Kronos put a plate of food in front of him. “How did you deal with the curse? You and Tartarus fought like all the time.”

“And we felt horrible a lot of that time. Not about fighting, but like you experienced today. And, as you may find out for yourself, the curse amplifies that the longer it takes you to get around each other.” He raised an eyebrow as he pulled out a chair and sat down next to Jason to eat his food. “You two have been very close lately. Which is why the curse hit you when you were merely apart for a few hours. The more you love him, the shorter time you'll be able to be apart from him.”

“But it just started now? I've been around Nico for months.”

“Well, for starters, you had that amulet that our so dear and kind resident nephilim failed to mention to anyone until you brought up questions to him.” Kronos let out a sigh and began cutting a piece of chicken. “I would assume the other part was that it was luring you into some sense of security. Maybe you needed to feel invincible, even knowing that you were cursed. It took Tartarus and I several months to realize what was happening to us.”

\-------------------------------

As it turned out, Nico was correct. Kronos had Jason buried in a pile of books for the rest of the day, until dinner rolled around. After that, the Heads of House and the Firsts had to go to the cemetery for a coven meeting. He didn't get to sit in on the discussion, but Kronos said at dinner that the coven would be discussing this new nephilim. A lot of the coven didn't trust a new nephilim running around, especially one that was in full control of its powers.

This meant that Jason was stuck at home, still reading. One book that Kronos gave him did detail Succubi and Incubi, though. It made them sound like addicts. They went into weakened states when they went long periods of time without harvesting blood for their magic. Their magic also stopped relying so much on the user's ability, but rather how much life essence they were willing to sacrifice to use a spell. Some went blind, others deaf, and a rare few developed an aversion to the sun.

“What a boring book.”

Jason startled over the edge of his chair and shot electricity from his fingertips at the sound of Circe's voice. She wasn't there, of course. Jason would have to explain the charred wall later. The fire crackled and Jason turned to find Circe standing there.

“I'm getting tired of you using my mother's body,” he mumbled as he picked up the book.

Circe turned to smirk at him. “Well, well, maybe I wouldn't have to if you would do as I ask.” It would have been great if he could have called for help, but the only other person in the house was the magically bound nephilim upstairs. Circe was suddenly right on top of him, hand resting on his shoulder. “Where's my book, Jason?”

“I don't have it.” Jason ground out the words as he removed her cold hand from his body. He hated her for using his mother like some suit to wear to prom. It wasn't bad enough she had forced him to bury his mother already, now she dug up that grave and flaunted it in his face? “And why would I even give it to you? Do you honestly believe I would trust anything you promised me?”

A cold smile twisted across Circe's lips. “I wouldn't say it was me that you should worry your pretty little head over. My benefactors have lost their patience. I wouldn't want to make them angry.”

“You're wasting your time. I'm not helping you.”

There was something that suddenly felt different about the room. A chill worked its way up Jason's spine and he looked around. Even though the fire was burning and the lights were on, it felt hopelessly dark. Even Circe seemed to be but a shadow plastered up against the wall.

“You feel the call of my masters,” Circe hissed. She never moved, but Jason swore he felt not one, but three sets of hands against his face. “They are not known for their patience. Me on the other hand, I am willing to give you a little longer.” This time she did move. Circe walked right up to Jason, where he found himself unable to move, and squeezed his face in her hand. “If you don't give me the book by March, there will be consequences.”

“I'm not scared of you,” Jason whispered.

As she tossed him back, she just smirked. Circe slowly began to dissolve into smoke before his very eyes. “I didn't say it was your own safety that you should be worried about.”

When she vanished, the feeling of dread slowly crept away. The light in the room became bright and Jason sat up on the floor. He was about to get to his feet, when the door swung open and Eros loudly asked, “Jason, are you messing with that magical box thing mortals made to control the temperature of their homes?”

Jason cursed under his breath and would go to his grave swearing that he didn't jump a little at that entrance. He let out a long breath before he opened his eyes and looked at Eros. “No, Eros. I'm sure it was nothing.” He blinked as Eros was about to turn and walk away. “Wait. Did you... feel anything?”

All he got was a confused look. “Like what?”

“Just... nothing. It was nothing.”

Right as Eros closed the door much more quietly than when he entered the room, the door downstairs shot open so hard that Jason heard it from upstairs and he nearly fell out of the chair again. Taking a moment to catch his breath, he closed the book and went downstairs to see what all the commotion was. There was a lot of voices and it made it too hard to make anything out.

Eros stood towards the bottom of the stairs, peering down the rest of the way. Jason came up beside him and watched. Reyna was pacing through the entryway of the house. Kronos stood in the doorway, an emotionless expression on his face. Nico and Luke were both standing off to the side, as Percy and Annabeth tried to talk to Reyna.

“It's not so bad,” Percy said, quickly taking a step back when Reyna glared at him.

Annabeth sighed and said, “You were the best choice. Would you rather Clarisse have it?”

“Yes!” Reyna shouted as she went back to stomping around.

Nico mumbled, “She definitely didn't seem happy you got named First.”

Jason took another step down. “Reyna got named First?” All eyes turned to him and Jason regretted his movement. He shrunk back a little under Reyna's cold stare and used Eros, who whined at this, as partial cover. “I mean, it's totally wrong that they did this to you.”

Reyna's temper was definitely showing. Her emotions were strong enough to bring on an illusionary storm on the ceiling above. “It's not that the coven named me First. It was the fact that it was so soon after Frank died!”

“Reyna,” Luke finally said, “we are in a difficult time. There's a lot going on here. The coven needs to be at full strength.” Reyna glared at him, but Luke didn't budge. “Circe is up to something, we have the High Coven breathing down our necks, there's now a new nephilim running around,” he paused to glance at Eros as he said this, “and the best we can do is to make sure we look out for each other. You'll be a great voice for Ares to turn to for counsel.”

It took a moment, but Reyna's shoulders did relax. Everyone else was able to do so after that. Kronos was about to close the door, when Reyna moved towards it. “You're right. I know that. I just... don't like it.” She shook her head and briefly glanced at Kronos as she stepped by him. He nodded his head at her. “I'll see you all later.”

The door had barely closed when Percy moved to leave as well. “I'm going to catch up with her. I know she has a lot on her mind right now.” Nico gave a nod and Percy left.

Kronos let out a sigh and asked, “Will anyone else be leaving?”

Luke motioned to Annabeth, who had a few books tucked under her arm. “We were actually going to talk with Eros, if that's all right.” This got the two of them odd looks, even from Eros.

Annabeth rolled her eyes and held up one of the books. “Just some basic human things. It's to try and help him fit in better. I think we all can establish that it is strange for him.”

A little louder than needed for someone right next to him, Eros asked Jason, “Why are they talking about me like I am not here? Am I not meant to hear this?”

Kronos just motioned towards the stairs and Annabeth and Luke grabbed Eros to go up to his room. Eros stopped complaining when he realized Luke had a hold of one of his arms. Jason shook his head and then turned his attention to Nico, who had moved up the stairs to stand in front of him.

“You okay?” he asked. Jason glanced at Kronos before turning back to Nico, nodding. “You look rather pale.”

Having to clear his throat to make sure his voice wouldn't betray him, Jason threw on a weak smile. “Totally fine.” He pressed a kiss to Nico's lips and led him up the stairs, totally ignoring the frown on Kronos' face as he watched them go.

\----------------------------

“Can you not have like a normal dream for once?” Nico asked as him and Jason stood outside a circle of houses in what looked to be Salem. “I mean, don't get me wrong. I know a lot of people would love for their partner to take them to exotic places.”

Jason rolled his eyes at the sarcastic remark. “It does offer me more time to do other things. You know, cut down on all the weird glimpses of the past and still get plenty of rest. Opposed to zoning out on everyone in town in the middle of class.” He leaned closer to his boyfriend with a smile. “So, are you going to tell me what you want for your birthday?”

“No, because you aren't getting me anything.”

“Well that's a lie. I'd like to see you try and stop me.”

As much as he tried to hide it, Jason found out about Nico's birthday at the end of the month and had been a little persistent on the topic of gifts. It just felt wrong not to get the guy he was dating a gift. It should be easy to spoil Nico, given Jason had magical powers. It just was hard to do so when Nico also had magical powers and could just get anything he wanted anyways.

They fell quiet as the door to one of the houses opened and Neptune walked out with his father. Thunder boomed overhead as the door was shut behind them. Both froze when there was a scream further into the town. “Go get your mother,” Neptune's father hissed at him. The boy darted back into the house.

Several others came out of the surrounding homes, including Gaea and Tartarus' parents. Circe came barreling down the dirt road in a rage. She had tears streaking down her face. Neptune reached out for her.

“Circe, my dear, what is the matter?” he asked.

Circe drew back and put her other hand in the center of his chest. “Don't touch me!” she screamed as a wave of black energy emanated from her hand. Neptune and his mother stepped outside just in time to see the man fall over dead, his veins now black under his skin, which had turned a sickening gray color. Circe didn't even stop to check on him. Her attention turned to her parents and she screamed, “Father! I need to speak to you.”

Erebus withdrew from her before Circe could get a hold of him. The girl looked up at the man in confusion. “Circe,” he hissed, “do you know what you just did? You just damned us all, you stupid girl.”

Tartarus and Kronos came running towards the scene, but slid to a halt when they saw what happened. Oh, Jason thought. This was right after Circe must have caught them kissing. They still looked the same as they did from that dream.

Neptune's mother staggered towards her now dead husband and fell beside him, weeping. There were a lot of angry voices headed their way, as well as what looked like torches. Gaea snapped her fingers towards the two dumbstruck boys and demanded, “What's happened?”

Neither could form a sentence fast enough. Several men marched towards the houses and came right up to Erebus. “Erebus di Angelo, your daughter was witnessed doing witchcraft. She murdered several innocent people tearing through the town.” Both Tartarus and Kronos glanced at each other. “Did you know anything about this devil work?”

Erebus narrowed his eyes at Tartarus, then looked to his daughter, and finally to Gaea. With her lips pursed, Gaea discreetly shook her head a single time. Erebus locked his jaw. “No. I had no idea.” His eyes fell upon Circe with utter disappointment. She looked dismayed at her father, trying to cling to him. “She has also killed another, it would seem.” With a step back, Erebus removed himself from Circe's grasp. “I'll leave her in your hands. May the Lord's will be done, and have mercy upon her soul.”

As she was dragged away, screaming for her father to listen to her, Tartarus finally ran up to his father. He barely got his mouth open before Erebus brought the back of his hand across Tartarus' cheek. Kronos clutches his fist, but Tartarus held out his hand.

“What are we going to do, Gaea?” Erebus asked, much more calmly than he appeared.

Neptune finally found himself able to move. He shot towards Erebus in a rage. “'Do?'” he screamed. He had a hand outstretched and Erebus began to choke. He fell to his knees as his veins looked like they might burst from his skin at any moment. “Your daughter just killed my father! I should skin you alive and toss you into the sea along with that bitch of a daughter.” Gaea managed to catch him before he could actually get to Erebus. It didn't stop him from kicking and screaming. “I will kill you!”

“Peace, Neptune,” Gaea said calmly. Neptune frowned towards his mother, who sadly nodded as she wiped tears from her eyes. “This is not the time to bicker among ourselves. The town will start looking at the rest of Erebus' family now, and I'm sure it wouldn't be long before they looked towards us.”

With a growl, Neptune released Erebus, who stumbled back to his feet, gasping for breath. Jason silently wondered if Percy could imitate that magic. Given that Nico didn't seem surprised by any of it, he could only imagine it was possible.

Gaea shook her head, thinking. “We can do nothing for Circe now.” Erebus went to protest, but Gaea held up a hand. “Salem is watched too closely by witch hunters. Tampering with memories would just draw attention. It is hard to swallow, but letting them have Circe is going to be the road with fewer casualties.”

“But-” Tartarus stepped forward, but Kronos grabbed his arm. His brow was furrowed when Tartarus looked at him. Kronos shook his head. Nothing else was said from Tartarus, but he ripped his arm from Kronos' grasp.

At least not until the others had all gone. Tartarus remained where he stood and Kronos almost walked away before he realized Tartarus was still there. Slowly, Kronos looked at his mother before nodding his head in Tartarus' direction. She simply nodded in understanding and went inside.

Tartarus jerked his gaze up to harshly stare at Kronos. “Why did you silence me?”

“You know why.”

Tartarus scoffed at that and his nostrils flared. “This is my sister. I don't care if she saw us. And your mother might as well be tying the noose for them.” Tartarus jerked away when Kronos reached a hand out for him. “Are you so afraid of losing your honor? I would bear whatever bruises my father put on me, rather than betray my sister like that.”

Kronos leaned in and hissed, “Then why didn't you go ahead and say anything? I only tried to stop you.” He poked at Tartarus' chest. “You chose to stay silent yourself.”

As Kronos walked away, Tartarus got angry. He spat words vehemently at Kronos' retreating form, yelling to be heard over the thunder. “It would be terrible for anyone to learn that the son of the mighty Gaea was not raised with honor.” Kronos stopped to glare at him. “Let's just kill my sister to protect any shame it might bring upon your great family.”

\---------------------------------------------

The following Sunday, the entire coven had a lunch outside. It was always crazy to see them all together, like some giant dysfunctional family. But Jason was just happy that he was sat by Nico and that they were given some of Dionysus' best wine. There had been a toast for Reyna, which she reluctantly accepted her new title. Everything was great. Percy and Luke had even given him a few ideas for Nico's birthday present.

Several ideas from Percy involved acts that Jason could not bear to repeat to anyone in public, and his ears were still slightly red just from hearing it.

It was about halfway through the lunch that Beckendorf stood up and tapped his knife against his wine glass. “This has been a great lunch.” He quickly bowed to Demeter. “Thank you for cooking this amazing meal.” With a look to Silena, he cleared his throat. “As you all know, we decided to get engaged.” This had a lot of clapping and cheers. “We have now settled on a date.”

Silena smiled as she took his hand and said, “The second weekend in March.”

While everyone else clapped, Jason felt cold. No. No, this couldn't be right. Circe had known this, hadn't she? She must have learned, somehow, that the two were planning their wedding date. Nico fixed him with an odd look as Jason leaned forward and massaged his temple. This couldn't be happening. This was a mistake. What was he supposed to do now?

He couldn't hand her the book, which he still didn't know where it was. But if he didn't do something, Circe could very well take out her anger on someone in the coven. What was he supposed to do?

Get help!

When everyone went over to congratulate the happy couple, Jason grabbed Nico, Luke, Percy, and Reyna. They walked around to the other side of Gaea's house to talk privately. All of them bore the same confused expression on their faces.

“I need help,” Jason managed to get out. He sat down on the giant porch and brought his legs up to his chest. “I think something terrible is going to happen on Silena and Beckendorf's wedding.”

“Yeah,” Percy chuckled, “Beckendorf is getting a ball and chain put around his ankle.” Both Luke and Reyna elbowed him from both sides, Nico just shot him a glare. Percy winced and rubbed his ribs. “I was just kidding!”

Jason shook his head. “I'm serious. Earlier this week, Circe paid me a visit while everyone was at the coven meeting.” Nico gave him a frustrated look that Jason had already expected. They weren't supposed to keep secrets anymore. Not to mention Nico had specifically asked him that night what was wrong. “I should have said something.” Nico just grunted. “She said I had until March to deliver that stupid book to her.”

A long silence fell over the group. Jason looked to Nico, who had become unreadable. He hated when Nico did that. Reyna was the first to speak. “Maybe she's just bluffing.”

“Yeah,” Luke agreed. “Besides, Circe wouldn't dare try anything with Gaea around. She's too scared of her.”

Percy, who had both of his elbows on Nico's shoulders by this point, dropped his chin on top of the boy's head. Nico glared up at him. “She has to know you don't know where the book is, dude,” Percy sighed. “I don't know why she's so determined. She'd probably have better luck herself.”

“Or maybe with whoever she is using as a spy,” Nico muttered.

Tilting his head back and forth, Percy sighed. “It's probably that nephilim using Octavian's body as some meat suit.”

Reyna made a face of disgust and said, “Please don't use that phrase again.”

While having the discussion did help, it didn't alleviate Jason of all of his worries. Should he tell Gaea or Kronos? Maybe he should ask Silena and Beckendorf to move their wedding up... or maybe delay it by quite a few months. What he wanted to do with that stupid book, if he ever found it, was set it on fire. It probably wouldn't destroy it, but it would definitely make Jason feel better.

As the others went back to lunch, Jason caught Percy. Those sea-green eyes blinked back at Jason. “Yes?” he slowly asked.

“I guess I just wanted some more advice.” They both sat down on the porch and waited for Jason to continue. “I'm sure I know what Nico would say, as well as Luke. Probably Reyna, too. I just... you are very dedicated to your friends.” Percy beamed at the compliment. “You like to take risks more than some of the others. So, would you give the book to Circe, if you had it?”

Percy arched a brow at him. “Do you have it?”

Jason shook his head.

A sigh was the first response he got. Then Percy said, “No.” There was a long pause, where Percy stared up at the sky and pondered at it. Jason did the same. Maybe it held answers. “If it was my own life I was gambling, sure, I might. I could handle the risk. But everyone else?” Percy shook his head with a frown. Jason couldn't recall many times he had seen Percy look so serious. “I would never want to put my friends in danger, though. There's no telling what Circe is planning to do with that book, or how she might use it to harm the people I care about. Circe is evil and I don't trust her.”

Jason sighed as well. The sky definitely did not have answers. Percy did, but it was hard to swallow. Jason knew Percy was right. Hell, it was never really a decision for Jason. He just wanted to make sure he was doing the right thing. Not that it mattered. He had to have the book in order to make a decision. But maybe Circe was just getting frustrated that Jason wasn't even bothering to look for the book. Like Jason even knew where to start looking! He had the power to go back in time, but it didn't mean he knew where the last point in time the book was known to be.

As he let out a long breath, Jason got to his feet. He threw on a smile and offered Percy a hand up. “Thanks, man. I just needed to hear those thoughts from someone else.”

“Anytime.”

With a final grin from Percy, the two walked around the house. Both came to a stop at the front, where they found Nico sat on the front steps. Percy wagged his eyebrows and nudged Jason, who rolled his eyes. The blond walked over to Nico, while Percy headed back to get more food.

Probably best to start off strong. “I'm sorry I didn't tell you,” Jason whispered.

Nico smiled at him and nudged Jason's shoulder. “It's okay. Not like I haven't kept secrets from you.” Jason frowned at the boy. He smiled, but there was something hidden in the tone of Nico's voice. Jason just couldn't put his finger on it. “Walk me back to my house?”

How could Jason say no to such a request? He held his hand out and Nico laced their hands together as they walked. Jason was sure that Nico would always be a mystery to him. He could only hope that Nico would eventually reveal everything to him.

They walked through the woods as Nico detailed how witch and warlock weddings went. For the most part it was normal. There were a few pagan things thrown in here and there, but nothing too surprising. Gaea could actually officiate the wedding and marry them. In fact, basically every member of the High Coven could officiate a magical wedding.

Of course Jason asked if Nico would be his date to the wedding, which Nico rolled his eyes at, but still agreed. Even so, there was still this small seed of dread in the pit of Jason's stomach. What if Circe meant to harm Nico? Jason wasn't sure he could handle that.

Proving just how graceful he was, Jason managed to catch his foot on something and tumble face first to the ground. Nico chuckled slightly. Jason blinked as he opened his eyes. Laying on the ground in front of him was a stone. It almost seemed like onyx, except it seemed to have a faint green glow that emanated from inside of it, like it was trapped.

It was strangely beautiful. Even though Nico was there to see it, Jason strongly debated making use of it as a gift. He had never seen a stone like it before in his life. As he reached a hand out to grab it, Nico gasped and said, “Jason, don't pick that-”

Too late.

Pain surged through Jason's body as he tried to release the stone from his grasp, but his hand wouldn't cooperate with his brain. A taste like iron or copper filled his mouth, though there was no blood or any kind of liquid. It felt like his insides were being torn out and his magic threatened to tear apart.

“Jason!” Nico screamed as Jason scrambled back against a tree, unable to get the damn stone out of his own grasp.

He couldn't breath. Ever so slowly, Jason's body became numb. His hand fell limp and he looked down at the stone in his hand. It had turned entirely green. A dull and sickly color that had also turned the palm of Jason's hand green. Nico moved to help him, but some twigs broke and he froze.

Out of the brush came three men and two women holding guns and crossbows. One of the women and one of the men had more of the stones on their belts. Jason didn't have to ask to know what had just happened. They had stumbled into a trap setup by witch hunters. Which meant that witch hunters were now in Aimes and the entire coven was at risk.

Jason opened his mouth to tell Nico to run, but the stone was sapping every ounce of his magic and energy. Without a single warning, one the the men fired a crossbow at Jason. He couldn't even scream as the bolt pierced him around the shoulder and sank into the tree. The last thing that Jason heard before he passed out was an ungodly scream from Nico and the crack of earth.

There was no telling how much time between the point that Jason blacked out and when he started to come to. The first thing he heard were inhuman screams close by, followed by the most sickening sound that Jason had ever heard. All that he knew was that the screaming ceased after that.

His eyes fluttered open and Jason found that the stone had been turned to dust in his hand. Pain flared through his shoulder as he looked at it. The bolt was gone, but the blood and hole was still there. It was probably the more favorable sight compared to everything else. The leaves and grass had all been turned to ash for as far as Jason could see. The trees now seemed dead and rotted. And there stood Nico in the center of it all, surrounded by the shredded corpses of all five of the witch hunters. Jason slowly got to his feet and nearly gagged. The stench was overwhelming. Nico stood there, breathing heavily, over the one he must have just torn apart. Literally. The torso was at Nico's feet, the head was partially smashed against the nearest tree, and one of his legs was on a branch several feet in the air. The others were in a similar state.

When Nico spun around, Jason actually took a step back. It was like looking at an animal. There was a void in his eyes and a snarl on his lips. Specs of gray had formed on his skin, his veins dark underneath that. He looked nearly like what Jason had been shown an incubus would look like. 

“Nico,” Jason whispered as he couldn't help but look around them, “what have you done? They didn't deserve... this.” This was a massacre.

While the blackness faded from his eyes, most of the deformities on Nico's face remained behind. “I...” He touched at his face, like he knew it was all still there. “I thought they killed you. You looked dead.”

When Nico had fought Circe, it had not bothered Jason at all. Witnessing what Nico could do then had left Jason in a state of awe. This, however, actually made Jason feel afraid of Nico. When Nico moved forward, Jason took two steps back. Could Nico really control his powers? He had just murdered people? They were witch hunters, yes, but to slaughter them like this? Nobody deserved to die like this. What if Nico lost control? What if he turned out to be like Tartarus?

Nico reached out for him and this time Jason bolted. “Jason, wait!” Nico called after him, but Jason wouldn't turn around. He ran and ran as fast as he could back to his house. He needed to get away from Nico and think. He needed to figure out how to fix this.

\-------------------------------------

Jason did not say anything to either Gaea or Kronos when he got home. Kronos came to talk to him at one point, having heard about the attack, but Jason said he didn't feel like talking about it. And, thankfully, Kronos granted his wish. Jason just locked himself inside his room—including having his supper brought up there—and did hours of research on time magic and some old journals that Kronos had let him borrow. They were from both Kronos and Tartarus, and they dated hundreds of years. Jason just needed a spot. Nico claimed that he could never remember when Tartarus first split his soul and all that.

It wasn't much, but it felt like the first step towards solving this. Nico needed help. And Jason needed to help him if they were ever going to get past what happened. For now, he just couldn't look at his boyfriend. He didn't know how to go about stopping Tartarus' soul from getting corrupted, thereby implanting that onto Nico's soul, but Jason did think he could help Nico with the split soul part. It couldn't hurt, right? Or maybe, just maybe, he could talk to Tartarus and get his help.

Jason just didn't know how badly that could fuck things up for the present. How much would change if he did that? Would Nico even be there? Would Jason? There was no telling what kind of present Jason would come back to. Not to mention that Jason wasn't one hundred percent on this whole plan, because he had yet to actually physically put himself in the past just yet. And he also wasn't sure how well that would go over with past Tartarus or present Kronos.

At the very least, Jason just wanted to find out how Tartarus actually managed to split his soul between the plane of the living and the dead. Nico claimed there wasn't a spell like that in existence.

As he finished with his mental preparations, Jason looked over the book one final time. He took in a deep breath and focused, holding his hands out in front of him to form a circle. With his magic, he reached out and grasped at time itself. It was like lifting a car, heavily straining Jason's muscles as he twisted his hands like he was rotating two halves of a globe.

There was a thundering roar in his ears as Jason felt his very existence being torn away from his room. Jason didn't fight it, though. He slowly vanished from his room and then was nowhere. The time stream, as Kronos had referred to it many times over, was the in between place for people like Jason when they time traveled. He just had to find the actual destination.

It was like looking out at an endless sea all around him, except instead of water, it was aether currents of magic and silver sand. It was breathtaking and beautiful. He just wished he had more time to admire it, but every single book that he had read advised Jason against staying in the time stream for any longer than absolutely necessary.

Jason could feel the energy in between his hands straining. If he broke his hold on it, Jason would be lost to time for all eternity and cease to exist. Pleasant. As Jason closed his eyes, he focused the best he could on Tartarus, thinking about Nico's soul and how it was split to two separate planes. Inside him, Jason felt the need for answers bubbling up.

And then, just as he felt the magic about to tear, space began to form around him. It was put together like a complex puzzle and then Jason was standing in a room that looked to be in the di Angelo house. Which made sense, since Tartarus was seated on the floor.

Then Jason noticed the strangest thing. From cracks and windows and just about everywhere, plant life had sprung forth through the room. Well, maybe that wasn't the strangest thing in the room. There was also the giant wolf curled up across from Tartarus. And it was huge. Massive. That thing looked longer than a car and there was no telling how tall it was when it stood up.

The plants spread out from the wolf like it had created them. Across its black fur were glowing blue rune markings, forming intricate circles and lines across its body. Its tail alone was at least as long as one of Jason's legs. And, yet, there Tartarus was, sat across from it without a single care. He sat there, staring and waiting.

There was the most childish giggling that softly came from the wolf. Looking down a little, Jason caught sight of two small feet poking out from within the mass of fur of the curled up wolf. The bare feet were dirty and the toes wiggled, but that was all Jason could see.

What was this he stumbled on? As Jason took a step around to try and get a better look, the childish boy laughter came again. This time the giant wolf poked its head up and Jason found himself staring into the pale light of the moon. Then there was growling.

From his left appeared a second giant wolf. This one was just as black, but with red markings on it. Its eyes were like the sun itself as they watched Jason. Clearly trained on him, even though he was invisible. And now, with this one standing, Jason found out just how terrifyingly huge these things were. This thing, even with Jason being 6'1”, was easily at eye level with him. If it actually stood on its back legs, it would be two Jasons.

The thing snarled and lunged at him.

Jason had instinctively shut his eyes before the blow, which never came. As he slowly cracked an eye open, Jason found himself back in his room. He darted around to make sure there were no wolves behind him. There weren't.

Wait. He needed to go back. Jason still needed answers from Tartarus. He needed to know how to fix things. Tartarus surely had all the answers he needed. But, as he stood there and focused, nothing happened. Jason could feel the magic working, but there was nothing. He could feel himself getting ready for move to the time stream, but it was like something was preventing him from going. It was more like a block. That one specific point in time was not wanting to work again. It was not calling to him anymore.

Jason huffed in defeat as his arms dropped to his sides and he collapsed on his bed in frustration. Why couldn't he just get this to work? His eyes scrunched and Jason curled up, cradling his head. He needed these answers to help Nico. If he couldn't fix this, how were they supposed to get through all of this? This was only happening because of Tartarus, and Jason wanted him to answer for what he had done.

When he fell silent, Jason was able to pick up on faint yelling coming from downstairs. His brow furrowed and he sat up. Weird. It had to be late. What was going on?

He inched out of bed and went to go find out what was happening.

What he found was nothing that he could have expected. Not only were all of the adults in the coven downstairs, but so were a lot of people that Jason had never seen before. All except three. Marie stood there to one side of Selene and her uncle Hyperion. That would mean that the other adults in the room were probably... oh shit. The High Coven was here.

Kronos was standing there, having a shouting match with Hyperion. Jason loudly asked, “What's going on?”

Kronos turned, clearly angry, and said, “You need to go find, Mother. Her leadership seems to be no longer good enough for our uninvited guests.”

“You now have witch hunters in Aimes!” Hyperion shouted with his now red face. He was much shorter than Kronos, but he was determined to stand his ground. “We have also learned that not only is there currently a nephilim loose in Aimes, but you have another damned one kept upstairs!” Jason glanced up the rest of the stairs and found Eros, Annabeth, and Luke standing there, the first with wide eyes. “You have a ghost terrorizing the town with plans of revenge, after one of the most evil books to ever be known to us, and what is Gaea doing about it? This is an outrage!”

“How can we expect her to lead us, when she can't even lead her own coven?” said a sour-faced woman behind Marie.

Marie finally spoke up. “I'm sorry, Kronos. I didn't tell them anything.” Kronos gave a nod to her, which received heavy glares from most of the High Coven that was there. “Your mother will have to submit herself to stand before us for questioning and... if need be... a trial.”

Jason wasn't sure how many people made up the High Coven, but there was at least ten in the room. Although he wasn't counting Selene, since he already knew that she wasn't actually on the High Coven. Even with them all there, though, it didn't look like Kronos or the rest of the adults were going to let this slide.

Hermes was the first to speak. “You can't just come here and demand her.”

“We were afraid she would run,” Selene calmly said.

Kronos scoffed. “Why would my mother run?”

Immediately following that, Demeter went off on a tangent about how it was unheard of for this kind of behavior from people who claimed to be in charge of their community. Hera and Artemis quickly joined in, the latter having to bounce a crying Zoë against her side. Hyperion was not backing down, though. His mustache ruffled as his face grew only more red.

Jason quickly bounded back up the stairs and went in search of Gaea. Where was she? Did she not know what was going on? She needed to defend herself. They couldn't just take her, not now. There was too much going on. The coven needed Gaea more than ever.

It didn't take long for Jason to find Gaea in the study. Whether she was awake or not was highly up for debate. She sat there in her favorite chair, unmoving. Jason quickly closed the gap between them and reached out to shake her awake.

It was so cold and dark. Shadows flew through the night sky and into what looked to be Roanoke. The smell of blood was so strong that Jason could smell, even though he wasn't physically there. But he stood there with Gaea on a hillside, as they listened to the screams grow slowly more faint. When Gaea looked at him, it was the first time that he had ever show such anger. She said nothing, though, as she ripped his hand from her shoulder.

When Jason found himself back in the study, Gaea had her gaze fixed on him with a solemn look. She still said nothing. She let go of his hand and stood to her feet. Jason quickly said, “Gaea, you need to get downstairs, the High Coven-”

“I know.”

Jason frowned. She knew? And she was just sitting there? She needed to do something.

Gaea calmly followed Jason downstairs, where the High Coven watched her descend the stairs like someone on the way to their execution and they were the executioners. Hyperion wasted no time in clearing his throat. “Gaea, you are hereby sentenced to trial. You no longer seem fit to lead anyone. You just sit here and drink yourself away in your little corner of the world.” He looked at her in disgust. Jason wanted to deck him. “You grew so lazy that you put your own coven in danger with witch hunters. Your own blood was nearly killed by them.”

A man dressed heavily in Chinese garb stepped forward with a silver rope. “Do you have anything to say for yourself before we take you into questioning?”

“Do as you will,” was all Gaea said. It left the adults of the coven flabbergasted. Jason must have heard her wrong. Yet, there she was, letting them tie the rope around her wrists. She didn't even look like she cared. She just turned to Kronos and said, “You are in charge while I am away. Make sure they don't kill each other.”

Kronos looked at his mother, stunned. He couldn't believe it either. What was happening? This felt wrong. She couldn't just leave them like this, not now, not at the worst time. Everything hinged on her.

Yet, as they took her, Gaea reached out and grabbed Jason by the shirt, pulling him closer. The next instant everything was frozen. Including Kronos, which Jason hadn't thought possible to freeze another person with time magic. Yet Gaea did, even with the magic rope supposedly binding her magic.

“You must fix everything.” Jason wasn't sure why she whispered, not while everyone was frozen. But she quickly added, “I need you to understand.” She handed Jason a key. “In my room, tucked in the very back of one of my bookshelves is the box that goes to. Inside you will find answers to so many questions. Some things I thought I would take with me to my grave, should that ever happen. And I think this is why you started seeing the events of the past. You must be the one to unravel it all.”

“You're speaking in riddles, Gaea.”

“Shush, boy. You need to do this.” The look on her face silenced any further protests from Jason. “Kronos will not understand. So it must be you. You were brought back to life for a reason, put in the middle of Circe's plan. I can only assume you have a big part to play in the war to come. And oh, my dear boy, will there be a war. Whether I am here or not, you need to stop her. The box will also help you with that.” As she pulled back, Jason could feel time slowly begin to work again. “Fix my sins, Jason.”

“Wait!” Jason yelled. Now everyone was looking at him. Jason bit his tongue and tucked the key away discreetly in his pocket. She couldn't seriously be entrusting this to the guy who just started to learn about magic, could she? How was she supposed to be the most powerful and wise witch alive? This was incredibly stupid!

Why was the fate of everyone around him now in his hands?

As a portal was opened, probably back to Europe, Gaea turned to Kronos and gently said, “I'm sorry.” Then they were all gone.

Kronos collapsed onto the bottom step of the stairs and let his head fall back with a heavy sigh. Nobody said a word. Nobody moved. This was a nightmare. This was exactly what Circe wanted to happen, and now they no longer had Gaea to act as a deterrent for Circe to act. If Gaea wasn't back in two months, Jason wasn't sure if any of them would make it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay for chaos happening at the least opportune time! So, I mean, I'm sure everyone figured witch hunters would show up at some point or another with all the hinting that I've done with them. And I just really need Gaea to not be around for a bit. Take the safety net away. We are coming to a close, though. And, by that, I just mean the fic. I know I've mentioned this several times over, but the fic only goes through what will become book 3, and then there will be 4 more after that. Which sadly won't be seen until the books catch up to the fic. Which does mean at least 3-4 years lol. Sorry.
> 
> There will be some time skipping here and there over the next few chapters, since the end of the fic takes place around March. I also remembered that I was about to hit Nico's birthday after I planned the witch hunter attack. So... you know, they might not be on the best terms next chapter. That being said, I will be having a character make their first physical appearance next chapter. Exciting. I just don't know how many more chapters there are. Like, I'll know when I have only like three to go, but I can't say if it's like 5 or maybe 8. Somewhere between those numbers. I do hope you enjoyed the chapter, though. I definitely enjoyed writing it. I am actually about to go lay down and watch some netflix or maybe read, because I've been feeling like shit all day and I think I might be getting sick. So leave me a review letting me know how it was and what you liked and all that. I'm not sure when I'll update again, but it hopefully won't be two months again.


	31. The Price of Immortality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told Carlee I would finish this in one night! Although, it's a little shorter than the last chapter or two. I could have probably added more, but I'm refraining from cramming too much into these chapters right now, as I'm still gauging how many chapters exactly it is until the end. But I did write all this chapter in one night. Three hours to be exact. I also lazy edited, more like skimmed, so please excuse errors. Emphasis on the excuse part. I really do appreciate pointing out the errors, but I'm lazy enough not to want to go back and fix them after errors are pointed out, so I'm trying to get you guys to save your breath.
> 
> I wasn't expecting to finish the chapter in one night, and then post it on top of that, but here we are. I just sat down at my desk and words kind of came pouring out. Also thank you guys, seriously, for all the comments last chapter. Way more than I am used to getting on these updates. I was not expecting the chapter to go over as well as it did. I mean I enjoyed writing the chapter and loved it, but wow. So thank you guys so much for that. It meant a lot.

Was he supposed to ring the doorbell? Jason, technically, had a key. The car was parked outside. Screw it. Jason reached out with his finger and rung the bell. A few seconds later, footsteps could be heard on the other side of the door and then it began to unlock.

“Jason?”

He threw on his best smile and said, “Hi, Aunt Lupa.”

It had been a few weeks and now the end of January was upon them. It was Nico's birthday, and where was Jason. California. Magic was handy like that. Not that things had improved between Jason and Nico, they had barely talked since Gaea had been taken back to Europe. He was still hesitant to go to the birthday party, but missing it would make him a shitty boyfriend. Even if they were fighting. Well, not really fighting. Jason just had a hard time looking at Nico.

So he had come to California for the day. Jason hoped it would get his mind off things. Also, he had not seen his aunt in half a year, and there were plenty of things that they really needed to talk about. Like how she sold her soul to save Jason, which he did not ask her to do and was not happy about.

After she let him in the house, Jason took a moment to look around the old living room. Nothing had really changed since he had left, but everything felt different. The air between them felt different. Before Jason had left, they had just been a normal family, but now Jason knew the truth. They both had magic. He was a warlock, his aunt was a witch, and both of his parents had possessed magic as well. All of his life had been a lie.

“I suppose you have questions,” Lupa said as she placed a teapot on the little table she had in front of the couch. Then she calmly sat down and placed her hands in her lap, waiting for Jason to do something.

Where did he even start? He didn't sit down. “Why didn't you ever tell me?”

“I couldn't. Your parents wanted you to live a normal life.” Lupa shook her head. After a pause, reached out and poured herself some tea. “If you hadn't died, I probably would have kept things as they were. I wasn't happy about it, but I respected your parents enough to keep my promise.” Her brow furrowed and then she took a long sip from her tea. “I would have much rather sent you to your family when the accident happened, or at least trained you myself, but they made me swear an oath. But your bindings were destroyed upon your death.”

“So you sold your soul for my life and to rebind my magic?”

Lupa let out a sigh and said, “I know it is probably hard for you to understand, but I know I made the right choice. I'd make it again. I just hope one day you never have to really understand why I made that choice.” Finally, her sharp eyes cut up at Jason. “Your soul was presented on the table for a deal. I don't think you understand the opportunity that I saw. The Triple Goddess dislikes Gaea and all her family, which includes you. She finds your immortality to be an abomination against the laws of life. Not even witches and warlocks are meant to live forever. Your great-grandmother found a way around that rule.”

“And now she is standing trial,” Jason mumbled. Lupa's eyes widened. “Oh. Yeah, the High Coven came and got her. Things have been pretty bad back in Aimes. Nephilim, witch hunters, my boyfriend's dead aunt is running around trying to murder us all. You know, the normal.”

Lupa shook her head and rolled her eyes, placing her tea back on the table. She motioned to the space next to her on the couch. While Jason wasn't going to sit down next to her initially, the look she gave him told him that he didn't have a choice in the matter. She poured him some tea.

“I'm sure Kronos can manage things in her absence,” Lupa said. She didn't look at Jason as she handed the tea over, not that he really looked at her either. Things didn't feel the same anymore. “I am happy you are finally dating Nico, but sorry that you are having trouble.”

What? Jason finally looked at his aunt, who just offered him some sugar. “How did you know?”

She motioned to all of him. “Your aura is very negative right now.”

“Why did...” Jason trailed off and took in a deep breath. “Why did my parents leave Aimes and come find you?”

For a moment, Jason was not sure if she was going to answer him. But then, “I don't know. Not really. I know that it was your father's decision. As to why they did not bring your sister with them, I'm afraid I cannot answer that.” That was not really helpful. “Something scared your father. I know he called me the night they left and spoke quickly about his plan to vanish from your coven. I had never heard your father sound scared in my life, but he was that night. Every time that I tried to ask him about it over the years, he just told me to leave it alone.”

“It sounds like I have a lot to blame on my father,” Jason mumbled and clenched his jeans, brow furrowed. Why had his father kept so much secret? “I find out about all of this right as we are put on the verge of a war or some kind of disaster?”

“War?”

Jason shrugged and said, “Circe is trying to start something. Apparently she had pledged herself to the Shadow Tribunal.” Jason hadn't even finished saying the name before Lupa had gone tense. “Apparently there might be a traitor in our midst, or maybe it's this other nephilim that has showed up. Apparently it's after Mellie's firstborn child that she is now pregnant with. The other one, the one that made the deal with you, is currently shacked up in my house.” That got a raised eyebrow from Lupa. “I take it that Gaea had not divulged that to you.”

“No,” Lupa said with a frown.

“Well his magic is bound. Would that stop the deal?”

“No.” With a weak smile, Lupa reached over and squeezed his shoulder. “But I appreciate your concern. I still have time, it's not like I'll be gone tomorrow.”

“I'm going to find a way to save you.” He meant that.

Reaching up from his shoulder, Lupa pat Jason gently on the cheek with a warm smile. She said nothing else, though, but Jason knew what she was thinking. Lupa didn't expect to get out of this deal. But Jason was not going to have that. He couldn't. There had to be a way. Somehow.

\----------------------------------

Unlike most of the other families in the coven, the di Angelos had their birthday parties at night. At least it wasn't at the cemetery. Taking in a deep breath, Jason entered the large house. Everything was fairly dim, mostly lit by candlelight. He found Nico standing in the kitchen, trying for what sounded like the hundredth time to tell Demeter that the cake did not need to be that big. She did not listen.

Nico's eyes went wide upon seeing him enter the room. “Jason,” he said softly. Quickly, he sat his drink aside and motioned for the two of them to step out on the back porch. As quietly as possible, Nico shut the door behind them and then turned to face Jason. “Kronos said you weren't home earlier. I wanted to come talk to you.”

“I was visiting Lupa in California,” Jason quietly explained, rubbing at his arm. He had a gift bag in that hand, which was meant for Nico. It was hard to look at Nico, or even be in the same vicinity. Deep down, he knew Nico would not hurt him, at least not intentionally, but it did not erase the memories that were ingrained in Jason's mind. He could still see the gore, still smell the blood.

“Did you... get the answers you needed?”

“No,” Jason said with a long exhale. Was there ever really going to be an answer for all the questions he had? “Um,” he held out the bag, “I got you something.”

“I- You didn't have to.” Slowly, Nico reached out and took it, their fingers barely touching. It singed Jason, made his heart stop beating. He wanted to touch Nico more, but at the same time wanted to be a million miles away from him. Deep down, some part of him knew the real reason that probably was. “Thank you.”

Jason stood there while Nico took the soft paper out of the bag and peered inside. He slowly pulled out a small book. His brow furrowed as he flipped through the first couple of pages. One of his eyebrows slowly raised and his eyes shot up to Jason questioningly. Jason smiled a little, feeling a blush cover his face, and rocked on his heels.

“It's, uh...” he began.

“A coupon book,” Nico finished. “There aren't that many.”

“Yeah, but...” Jason stepped forward and pulled one out. Another immediately grew in its place. “It refills. Now this one is good for redeeming.” Their eyes met and then so did their lips.

The kiss was slow, but it felt so perfect. There was just something colder about this one that sent a chill down Jason's spine. The world seemed to stop with them for those few seconds, until Nico pulled back and Jason could breath again.

Nico cleared his throat and read from the book, “Kissing coupon, a cuddling one, dinner, and...” his face lit up, “Jason!”

As he laughed, Jason knew that they would be all right. Eventually. “I thought it was a nice idea. This way, even if we are fighting, you can use one of those and I'll do what it says.”

Nico rolled his eyes and said, “And what if I'm too mad to use them? I do have a tendency to hold grudges longer than you.”

“That's true.” Jason scratched at his cheek. They both jumped when Percy slammed a palm against the window, both of them flipped him off as he walked by. “I guess it's not perfect, but it's something. Plus there's angry sex with that last one, if you redeem it.”

Shaking his head, Nico sighed. “Thank you, Jason. I guess we'll see how well your luck is with that last one.” He cleared his throat, blushed, and pulled the kissing coupon out again.

Jason smiled and leaned in again.

When they pulled apart, Jason slowly opened his eyes and looked at Nico. There was so much swimming around Jason's head as he looked at the other boy. How much did he not know about Nico? What was there still that Nico had yet to tell him? Could he save Nico? Was there any coming back for Nico from this dark void that threatened to swallow him up? And what did he know about what Jason had seen from the past?

“Nico,” Jason said softly, putting some more space between them. He tried to ignore the way Nico's shoulders slumped a little at the action. “I need to talk to you. There's some things I've seen lately. One that you were with me for, but didn't want to see it yourself. You know, the basement.”

Letting out a sigh, Nico quietly placed the book back into the bag and then looked directly into Jason's eyes. There was something about the dark that made them look so much bigger. “When Tartarus was practicing with the book and letting Circe observe?”

Jason nodded. “I wanna know about a chapter he was looking at. I haven't seen the symbol before.” Lifting his finger, he sketched it out in the air, leaving behind a glowing trail of blue as the symbol formed. As soon as Nico registered what it was, he stopped Jason by waving a hand through it and dispersing the symbol. He seemed suddenly far more tense than before. “You know it?”

“Yes,” Nico said softly. “It's the symbol for the cycle of life as written by dark magic.” With a deep breath, he continued. “The chapter that this is about contains a lot of spells and natural phenomenons that occur periodically over years. It's at the core of magic written by the Shadow Tribunal themselves. All spells from this chapter involve taking life to create it or extend it. Some of the darkest magic in existence is in the chapter.”

“And you've seen it?”

“Through Tartarus' eyes, yes. I don't remember all of it, I try not to. I know some of it was just notes from the man that was the scribe for the Shadow Tribunal. He used his own blood, or so they say. He died after writing it.”

Jason's eyes darted off to the side as he pondered this over. What interest did Circe have in this chapter? Obviously nothing good. But there had to be something specific. “Do you know what Circe was looking for? I mean, did Tartarus know?”

“No. I'm sorry. I wish I did. After that, he really didn't let her look at the book. But I'm assuming she found what she was looking for.”

“Why's that?”

“She stopped asking to look at it pretty much.” Nico nodded his head. “But if this is connected to what she is up to now, it's something very bad. As I said, this is some of the darkest magic out there.”

And it wasn't like he could just ask Circe the next time she paid him a visit. Yeah, surely that would go well. “Oh, hey, I don't suppose you can tell me what your plan is so that I can stop you?” Yeah not gonna happen.

Hades came and knocked on the door, motioned for Nico to come back inside. Nico held up a finger and his father left. “I'll try to remember anything that I can, but I don't think I'll get much. Can you not go back and look at it?”

“Uh...” In truth, Jason was still having a little trouble with time travel after his last attempt to find answers with Tartarus. “Not really. It's hard to explain.” Nico gave a nod and then stepped to go back inside. “Wait,” Jason said as Nico reached for the doorknob, “there was something else.”

Nico turned around and blinked at him, waiting.

“I, uh, went back looking for answers. Like physically tried to go back, or mostly physically. I found something that was very confusing.” He didn't even really know where to start. “I wanted to see if I could find the day that Tartarus split his soul. I think I might have? There was two really big wolves. Like huge. Anyways, one was on the floor in front of Tartarus, and I think there was... maybe a kid there? I don't know. Before I could listen to anything, I found the second wolf and it like banished me from that point in time. I haven't been able to go back, like it's sealed off. And I've been having trouble time travel at all since then.”

“I...” Nico seemed... well confused wasn't the word. Stunned? His mouth hung open a little as he looked up at Jason. “I don't know. I don't have a memory like that. Maybe it's one of the points in time that I get a blank on?”

“Do you know anything about the wolves? They had markings. One had red, the other blue.”

Nico shook his head. “Doesn't ring a bell. I mean, I don't know.” A hand came up and Nico scratched his head. “Strange. If it's the blanked memory that I think it is, then that would be when he split his soul. I just know that there was a day that doesn't seem to exist in Tartarus' memories for me, and the next day his soul was already split. Whatever happened, I just always assumed Tartarus did not want anyone to know what went on. I asked Kronos about the date, but it sounded like my grandfather sealed the house off for everyone that day.”

As Nico slowly opened the door, Jason asked, “Do you have any advice for trying to find answers? The wolves might be my best clue.”

With a sigh, Nico turned back to Jason, but didn't close the door. “Someone like Annabeth maybe. Let her touch you, see if she can come up with anything.”

“You think psychometry will work?”

“I think it's your best bet.” With a small smile, Nico stepped inside. “I hope you find answers. And I hope you stay for the rest of the party.”

Jason offered a weak smile as Nico left. His head fell back in a sigh and his hands rested on the back of his head. Now what? Maybe Annabeth could help him, but he had doubts. If time travel failed and Nico with Tartarus' memories failed, then what good was anything else?

Needing a little space from Nico for the moment, Jason went in search of Eros. Luke and Annabeth had convinced Kronos to let them bring the nephilim to the party to let him observe. Not that it was the best way to show him how to be normal, since it was a party for a warlock and there were things floating and spirits walking around and gifts that could in no way be shown to mortals.

He was directed upstairs and Jason opened the door to the library. He froze on the spot.

Luke quickly pulled away, his face quickly becoming far more red than normal. Eros just looked between Jason and Luke in confusion. He had just walked in on Luke kissing Eros. Jason began to slowly shut the door.

“Wait,” Luke called out. Jason paused, eyes still wide. “I was... uh, teaching him how to be human.”

“Yeah,” Jason said slowly, “I can see that. Seems like you might need to be alone for the lesson.”

Luke grew more red and quickly waved his hands in front of himself. “We were just... I mean... Please don't tell.”

Eros blinked. “Is kissing a secret? I have seen Jason do it in front of plenty of people.”

Chuckling, Jason leaned against the frame of the door. “Not going to say anything, but I'm sure it's fine. I don't recall there be a law against dating a nephilim.” Probably because it had never happened before.

“We'll talk about everything later,” Luke mumbled, still very red. Jason nodded and shut the door. Well, at least some people were happy.

\--------------------------------------

On Sunday night, Jason finally worked up the nerve to go looking for the thing Gaea had pointed him to. Ever since she had left, Jason had not been able to bring himself to go into her room. True, he always complained about wanting answers, but something inside of him told him that he might not be ready for this answer. Jason hoped that he was wrong.

The door was already open and the light was on. Jason stepped inside and found Kronos near Gaea's desk, holding a book in his hands. He looked up when he felt Jason's presence. “Jason, is something wrong?”

“No,” Jason quickly supplied. “I just... trying to think. Everything has felt pretty crazy since they took her. Doesn't sound like the coven is happy about it.”

True enough, Kronos had been very stressed in his mother's absence. Ares had been demanding they go to Europe, storm the Sanctuary, and free Gaea. Kronos had not agreed to it. Not to mention that some strangers had rolled into town on Saturday, and were staying at a hotel. Kronos had payed a visit to the hotel to ask about the guests, but all the manager knew was that they had paid upfront for the week and were planning to stay for an undetermined amount of time. They had paid in cash, too. The coven was convinced it was more witch hunters. Probably was.

Jason continued, “I meant to ask about that stone that the last witch hunters had. What was that?”

Closing the book, Kronos put it on the desk. “We meant to tell you about that. It's just that, with everything going on, we tried to focus on lessons that we felt were more useful to you. We had hoped that witch hunters wouldn't come snooping around. Perhaps we should have rethought that.” He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, suddenly looking far older than he really did. “It's called Mage's Bane. It sticks to you like it was glitter and renders a witch or warlock unable to use their magic. Perfectly harmless until someone with magic touches it. Most of it is destroyed.”

“Well they had it.”

“Probably not much. It's capable of being manufactured, but I use that term loosely. It can be made, but to get a fragment strong enough to do the job that is needed... Let's say that they made a hundred, only ten might work. The natural stuff was always perfect, but the High Coven ordered it destroyed years ago. Well, we have had several times that we tried to wipe it out. Merlin was one of the early documented cases of when someone ordered it destroyed. It even goes back to biblical times.” As he walked away from the desk, Kronos let his fingers trail along its surface. “And it's not the best thing to weaponize. They sometimes ground it up and use it as dust. The probability of these new ones having more is-”

Kronos stopped when someone cleared their throat. Jason turned to find Marie standing there, Selene in tow. Both Kronos and Jason glared at the latter. “Sorry to intrude,” Marie said. “I came back to visit Hazel a little.”

“And her?” Kronos sneered.

Selene didn't seem bothered by the tone. “Hyperion ordered my return. I will be stationed her for an undetermined amount of time to keep an eye on things. The High Coven feels that it needs to keep a watchful eye on Aimes right now, what with how delicate the situation is now.”

“The hell you are!”

Clearing her throat, Selene raised an eyebrow at Kronos. “Perhaps we could have this discussion more privately. But it is not up for discussion.”

Rolling his eyes, Kronos walked forward and around Jason, mumbling, “Well you are definitely not staying in this house.”

As the two went downstairs, bickering, Jason turned to Marie. “How is she?” he asked softly.

“Gaea?” Marie inquired. Jason nodded. “She's fine. They have her locked up for now. She's mostly being interrogated. I think the rest of the High Coven wants to delay any form of trial to keep her out of everything for the time being.” She shook her head with a sigh. “I can't help but feel that is exactly what Circe wants.”

Jason knew it was.

“I'm doing my best,” Marie continued, “to convince them that Gaea doesn't need to stand trial. I felt I should come tell Kronos and the others about what is happening. But I don't expect it to be resolved soon.”

The High Coven was just playing into Circe's hands. They were the puppets, and she was the puppeteer pulling their strings. This was wrong. And bad. So very, very bad.

“How very rude!” Selene yelled from downstairs. Both Marie and Jason looked down the hall in the general direction.

Shaking her head, Marie sighed and said, “I better go try and keep them from killing each other.”

Jason smiled briefly until Marie had left. He shut the door to Gaea's room behind him and peered around the room. He walked over to her wall of bookshelves and felt around. On the third shelf, his fingers slid across a small indention. Moving the books out of the way, Jason studied it. It seemed to be a secret compartment. He pressed against it and a box slid out.

Taking it in his hands, Jason stared down at the box. The front door slammed, causing Jason to jump. Someone, probably Selene, must have left. He didn't know if Marie was still in the house, but if she wasn't, then Kronos was probably going to come back upstairs. He needed his grandfather's help, he really did, but Gaea had not wanted Kronos to know about whatever this was.

So Jason quickly put everything back where it was and left the room with the box. He shut his door and went to get the tiny key that Gaea had given him from his desk. Sitting down on his bed, Jason held both the key and the box in each hand. If he opened it, there was no going back. Did he really want to know this? This was something that Gaea had kept secret not only from the coven, but from her own son.

Not only that, but Jason didn't think Gaea wanted him to tell anyone what he found. That meant keeping this a secret from Nico. He definitely understood Pandora a lot better, though, because the curiosity was also driving him insane. What could have been so bad that Gaea hid this from everyone?

When something clicked, Jason looked down to find that his hands had moved on their own and the box was now unlocked. He quickly sat it aside and stared at it for a long time. An eternity seemed to pass before Jason finally reached over and opened the lid.

There were only two things in the box.

The first was a page rolled up into a scroll. The other Jason slowly picked up and turned it over and over in his hands. It was a vial of glowing sand, but the sand did not flowing down when Jason flipped it. Once all the sand reached the bottom on its own, it began to fall upwards.

The sand looked like the sea of time that Jason had seen. Perhaps these were memories? Gaea's memories? Why had she bottled her memories? Jason put it aside for the moment and took out the scroll.

It was a page from a book, one that spoke of a dagger called the Dagger of Souls. He had heard the name before, it was something Frank and Malcolm were studying before they died. What was Gaea doing with this? It dictated that Hecate, the Triple Goddess herself, took the Dagger of Souls from the mortal plane and now had possession of it. This was supposed to be a weapon that could kill nearly anything. It could even kill Circe. Permanently. It would destroy her essence. They could use this, if they could just get it back.

The page was great, but it didn't really have answers. He didn't understand why Gaea had the page in the first place, and he especially didn't know what she had meant by her sins. Perhaps the answer was in the vial. Obviously. Jason just didn't want to open it. The sand still flowed in the vial as it laid on Jason's comforter.

But if he didn't look, nothing would get fixed. He needed answers. Jason needed to know how to beat Circe. Perhaps Gaea's memories held the answers. There had to be something. She seemed to think that there was. Swallowing his concerns, Jason snatched up the vial and popped the cork out of the top. The sand instantly swirled out and sank into his eyes. Jason fell stiffly back onto the bed, his mind now racing with visions of the past.

Moving. Always moving. Gaea never stayed in one place for very long. She moved across all of Europe. Witches were being hunted and nowhere felt safe. So she came to England. There was Sanctuary, and inside it was the answer to all her problems. She had heard whispers of a book in her travels, one that held infinite power. But it had been lost. If it was anywhere, though, it had to be here. The magical world had been rebuilding, having lost many of the High Coven, they now looked to find people to replace those that had been lost. They now had opened their doors to everyone from around the world, valuing preservation above old and worn out traditions.

So Gaea searched the corridors, unnoticed by most, for they were too busy dealing with their own business or some refugees that had come in. She searched the library for days, but found no end to it. After a week of searching, Gaea found a record book that did list the book she was looking for. It had not been seen since the days of Camelot. Well that was her answer. Gaea slipped away, not only from the library, but from that time itself.

Camelot. She found herself there, entering the city in its post-glory days. Arthur was dead, Merlin was gone, and magic slowly faded from the city that would soon be lost to the ages. But the book was still there. Moran le Fay had held it, but Merlin had taken it and sealed it away. His magic, though, had long since passed from Camelot, and there the book was for Gaea's taking. So she did.

The very book that was at the source of all the problems. The very book that Circe wanted and had gone missing since Tartarus had it. Gaea now held it in her arms and returned to her time. She had her prize.

The witch trials were to begin and Gaea ran again. This time across the vast ocean and to North America. She spent much time studying the book over the course of her journey. Once at shore, she settled into the colony of Roanoke. The days began to pass and Gaea felt her time creeping up on her. Her long life would not last for too much longer. But it was not enough, she needed more time. There was so much she had already accomplished with skill, but there was so much left to learn. She needed more time.

In an act of desperation, she pleaded with the Triple Goddess for more time. The payment was the Dagger of Souls. Taking the dagger, Hecate only offers a few more years in exchange. It wasn't enough. It wasn't enough. Gaea threw herself into studying the dark book from Camelot for answers instead.

Even after meeting her love, it wasn't enough. Ouranos. He wasn't enough for her. Gaea wanted more time. And she would have it.

An avatar of the Shadow Tribunal itself was summoned before Gaea on the darkest night, during a lunar eclipse and the dead of winter. Even though it was one form, three voices spoke to Gaea. A deal was struck for immortality. More than her own goddess had given. A trade of souls was to be made. Many, many souls. And one final payment. The souls of Roanoke would seal their agreement. Then, when it was found, a vessel was to be provided. One that was dark enough to withstand one of them to enter and escape their prison.

Gaea agreed.

So the souls of all of Roanoke was taken. Dark spirits ravaged the settlement and took them all to the void. There would be no trace, and it would always remain a mystery. Gaea left it behind with Ouranos, seeking a new home.

Years later, Gaea would meet the vessel that they had in mind. A boy that seemed so very innocent when she first laid eyes on him. His dark hair and pale skin, and magic over the dead. She found him in Salem. Her husband was dead and her son had grown into teenage years. She knew it was this boy for certain when she shook his hand when his parents introduced them to her. There was room for darkness to grow inside of him, and so much potential for it.

Tartarus was the one, the vessel that they sought.

Time passed and the coven left Salem. One day, after finding Tartarus outside with some new bruises, Gaea offered the book to him. She said that she felt he had the potential for this magic. Perhaps it would help him. When he took it, Gaea saw the face of death in him. It was the beginning of the end for everything magic and mortal alike. He would be the doom of all.

Jason shot up from his bed, screaming as loud as he could and wiping the sand from his eyes. His heart pounded loudly in his chest and his eyes were wild. No. It couldn't be. Gaea... What had she done?

His door opened and Kronos stepped in. “Jason? Is everything all right? Why did you scream?”

He just sat there. She had done this. Her fault. All of this was her fault. Tartarus. She had put him down that path. She had... Nico. Oh god. Jason's eyes snapped up from the floor and his feet began to move. Jason moved past Kronos. “Sorry,” he whispered, “I need to go see Nico for a bit.”

He moved without thinking, his feet carrying him outside and through the woods. His mind raced with all this new information. Why had he not seen it before? It had been right there. He had seen Gaea with the book, and then it was with Tartarus. All this time, he had just assumed Tartarus must have gotten it himself. But no. Gaea had been using him, she was going to offer him to the Shadow Tribunal and let them out. And Nico... Did that mean he was the vessel now?

No.

Jason could not let Nico be used like that. He wouldn't.

“Jason?”

When his eyes snapped into focus, he found Nico standing there in the doorway and his own hand raised to knock. He hadn't even realized he was at the house yet. “I, uh...” Jason began, barely above a whisper. What was he going to say? “I just really wanted to see you. Do you have a minute?”

There was so much concern in Nico's eyes as he stared back at Jason. Surely Jason looked like a wreck. But Nico nodded and stepped outside, shutting the door and then stepping off the porch. They walked around for a few minutes, Nico waiting for Jason to talk. Jason didn't even know where to start. What could he say? Gaea didn't want anyone to know, but this was also her fault. But she wanted him to fix it. So what did that mean? He needed to talk to her.

She had watched all that time as Tartarus descended into the darkness, became what the Shadow Tribunal needed him to be. No wonder she hadn't told Kronos, or wanted him to know. He would hate his own mother if he knew. Gaea had taken her son's love from him and had never even told him.

“Jason?”

This time, Jason found himself practically clutching onto Nico for dear life in a hug. He didn't let go when he realized this. He couldn't. Their fight didn't matter anymore. What Nico had done didn't matter. He couldn't even call it Nico's fault. None of this was. It was hers.

“I'm sorry,” Jason whispered into Nico's hair. He repeated it about five more times for good measure. Nico slowly wrapped his arms around Jason and held him. He let Jason stand there and hold him, probably because he could tell that Jason needed to. And he did. “I don't want to fight anymore.”

“Okay,” Nico mumbled into his shoulder, “well we don't have to.” He pulled back and pulled at the sleeve of his sweater, reaching up to wipe at Jason's face. He had been crying. “Do you want to stay here tonight?”

The place didn't matter, Jason just needed to be touching Nico. He needed to have the contact with him to know everything was, at least for the moment, okay. Hades didn't say anything when Nico brought Jason inside. He could see how distraught Jason looked as well. Not even Medea gave him crap when she saw him in the hallway.

Jason couldn't lose Nico, he wouldn't. There had to be a way to fix all of this. Somehow, someway, Jason had to find a way to fix everything. He would save everyone, no matter the cost. He wouldn't let this decision by Gaea cost him Nico. It made Jason sick to think that his own immortality was the reason that this all happened to Nico in the first place. Everything felt like it was falling to pieces now. And all Jason could do was scramble to try and hold it all together.

There had to be a way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to say this up above, but I am sorry for delaying this chapter. I outlined it a few weeks ago, but then felt like writing my Voltron fic instead. Plus I've been heavily distracted with the book. And a lot of other stress. Fingers crossed on a good job that I interviewed for on Monday. Well, I say good, but it's more that the pay is above most jobs hiring right now lol. I did enjoy writing this chapter a lot, perhaps that is one reason it came out so fast after I started. Especially the end of it. I am curious how many people pieced this together before this chapter came out. 
> 
> I'm probably about to do some serious work on the book. I have a lot of it mapped out, so I feel comfortable enough I think to actually start writing the new version. You might wanna know why rewriting. Well rewriting is easier than going through and changing names and descriptions, adding new scenes, deleting scenes, and making changes to pre-existing scenes. Plus it needs to look better written out.
> 
> I do hope you enjoyed the chapter, let me know if you did. Feel free to leave me a comment telling me your thoughts. I always love getting the reviews. Also Lupa was the character I was referring to in my last notes. I also hate thinking of presents for characters, but Jason's was mainly just dorky enough to work as being something from him. Anyways, I'm gonna probably go pass out. Hope you loved the update and I'll see you guys later.


	32. The Tree of Unlife

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know it has been a while, and I apologize for the delay in my writing. I've had a lot going on in my life lately. To start, financial troubles, which still aren't really solved. So come January I might have to move out of my apartment and live with 2 of my friends for a while. Unless I can get more money by then. I did find a job, but it's only part-time, so that's why I need more money. Or, rather, a second job. Or a full-time job. I have also been very depressed and just didn't feel like writing. My energy hasn't been that great and I didn't really edit this, so excuse any errors. I just wanted to post something, since I hadn't in some time.

“I don't really see how any of this is really necessary,” Kronos sighed as another suitcase was shoved into his hand. There was already a small pile gathered around his feet and scattered around the entry of the house.

In came another suitcase, this one sliding between Kronos and Jason. The latter watched it slide and come to a stop. “It's necessary because I say it is,” came Lupa's reply as she handed another bag to Jason. “And because Jason asked me to come stay a while.”

Kronos' eyes shot over to Jason, who shrugged. “I wanted her here while I thought of a way to get her out of her nephilim deal,” Jason muttered.

“Yes, because keeping her around the nephilim that made the deal with her is a great idea,” Kronos sighed as he eyed the three suitcases in his arms. “Not to mention you brought her into an oncoming war zone.”

“Maybe we could use the help.”

Half a month had gone by, and Jason had spent much of his time talking Lupa into moving across the country to stay with the coven while Gaea was away. He had convinced Lupa that the nephilim that she had made the deal with, currently stuck one of Jason's now dead friend's body, wasn't that bad. The sad part was that none of the “dead friend” part shocked her, and just made Jason curious about what else he didn't know about his aunt.

Clearly not enough.

“You could have at least used magic to get everything here,” Kronos complained as Lupa finally brought in the last of her luggage, which seemed to be everything from her house, and shut the door. “You didn't have to pay for a flight. Or at least could have let me pay for it.”

The look that Lupa gave Kronos said that none of that was clearly an option. “I can take care of myself, Kronos. Besides, someone needs to look after things around here.”

Kronos frowned as he watched Lupa walk past and ascend the stairs. He called up to her, “Need I remind you that I am several hundred years older than you!”

“Yet you look like some twink from a gay porno.”

While Jason laughed, Kronos looked scandalized. This was surely to be an eventful stay for Lupa. There was a snap of fingers from up above, and then all of Lupa's things began to march of their own accord up the stairs. Kronos frowned at Jason, who looked at the imaginary watch on his arm.

“Wow!” Jason said with a nervous chuckle. “Would you look at the time? I'm supposed to go meet Nico for lunch. Bye!”

“Good thing I'm already here.”

Jason jumped at the voice from behind him. “Nico!” He paled and covered his mouth as there was a loud thud upstairs, followed by rapid footsteps that grew louder. He quickly grabbed his boyfriend by the wrist and opened the door. “See you later, Kronos.”

“Hold it right there!” shouted Lupa, tapping her foot on the stairs. Nico stared questioningly at her. “You were just going to leave without introducing me to the infamous Nico that I've heard so much about?”

Nico smiled innocently at Jason, tilting his head to the side. “Of course not, Lupa,” Jason mumbled and shut the door. Kronos was now smirking at him. Karma was a bitch. Jason cleared his throat. “Lupa, this is my boyfriend Nico. Nico, this is my Aunt Lupa.”

Lupa calmly walked up to Nico and eyed him over for a very long minute. Surprisingly, Nico didn't flinch under the gaze, something Jason had yet to master himself. Then she held her hand out with a smile and they shook hands. “It's a pleasure to meet you, Nico. Jason seems quite fond of you.”

Smiling, Nico glanced at Jason as he let his hand fall back to his side. “I'm rather partial to him as well.”

“Right,” Jason began, “well, we have some lunch plans...”

Lupa's stern gaze fell upon Jason and he straightened. “Nico, he best show you a lovely Valentines Day, or let me know if he doesn't.”

“Will do,” Nico chuckled as he was ushered towards the door by Jason. “We have dinner plans, and he hasn't disappointed with holiday gifts yet.”

And the door was finally shut behind them. Jason wasn't sure if it was the best idea to leave Kronos alone with Lupa in there, but there was nothing he could do. Kronos had survived this long, Jason was sure he could endure Lupa. Nico was watching him when Jason focused his attention.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Nico simply said as they walked down the steps. “I like your aunt.”

Jason smiled at that. He would admit, at least in his head, that he had been nervous about Lupa meeting Nico. As he opened the passenger door for Nico, he asked, “How did you convince everyone to clear out of your house for the holiday?”

Leaning his arms on the door, Nico smiled, inches from Jason's face. It brought color to the blond's cheeks. “Well, as I mentioned, my dad is taking Persephone to spend the night in Paris. Bianca is taking Hazel over to Piper's for a girls' night, and I paid Medea to get the fuck out.”

In the beginning, Jason had never understood how money could motivate anyone in the coven, but there had been things Jason had to learn. For starters, Medea didn't plan on staying in Aimes, according to Nico. She was going to move away, probably to go live with her mother. Medea's mother had not been privileged with much money, having been banished from the coven. But there was also the fact that most of the money in the coven trickled down to the next in line to take over as Head of House. Probably another reason most tried to stick around.

While they were out to lunch, though, Jason decided to bring up a question. He sat and watched Nico from across the table for a long time before he opened his mouth. “Do you want to go to California with me over spring break?” That got Nico to look up at him real quick, head tilting to the side, unable to speak with food in his mouth. “I just thought we could both use some time away from all the crazy going on around here.”

After he swallowed the food, Nico frowned at Jason. “I mean, I guess, but we can't. Too much is going on. It's not safe to leave. Not for us, not for the coven.” His frown remained on his face as he looked down at his food. “We are already vulnerable as it is, leaving, even for a short time, would be a disaster.”

“I feel like you can watch over the coven just as Gaea did.”

“Which is why I shouldn't leave, by that same logic.”

Well Nico had him there. “I just,” Jason began, “don't want anything bad to happen to you.”

Nico arched a brow and took a bite from a fry. “I can take care of myself.” Those dark eyes stared curiously at Jason, analyzing him for something. It was probably foolish of Jason to think he could keep all this from Nico forever. Just a little longer, though. “I have been training and stuff a lot longer than you.”

“Ouch. That's a harsh way to speak to your boyfriend.”

“Then don't treat me like I'm glass,” Nico stuck his tongue out and reached for his drink.

\---------------------------------------

After school on Tuesday, Jason found himself out behind his house with Kronos. Lessons weren't usually super stressful, but when knives and swords were being thrown around, Jason felt a little more anxious than usual. “Focus and stop the blades,” Kronos instructed as more sharp objects flew by Jason's head. He was pretty sure that some of his hair got cut off with that one.

“A little warning would be nice!” Jason called out.

“Do you think that Circe or anyone working with her will give you a warning?” More blades. Jason hit the ground. “What about those witch hunters? Did they give you a warning? I don't think that the others in town will be as merciful either. Now stop the blades!”

With wide eyes, Jason scrambled back on the grass and managed to freeze a sword trained directly at his face... at least long enough for him to roll out of the way. Kronos felt it important to test him under pressure. So far, Jason only really had good control of his magic when he could take the time to work it all out in his head. Kronos wanted him to do things in a split second.

The weird part was that Kronos was being even more hard than usual, seemingly stressed and annoyed whenever Jason asked for a moment to catch his breath. “There was no time,” was all the warning Kronos gave him before tossing more dangerous objects at him.

Lupa watched from the back porch, but she had yet to object to anything Kronos was doing. Some help she was! Jason had trusted her all these years, and now she was just going to let his own grandfather skewer him.

“Stop thinking so much, just do it, Jason,” Kronos tried again. Another wave was thrown at him.

Maybe if the objects being hurled at him weren't so sharp and pointy, it might be better. Maybe work up to that. Instead of just tossing Jason into the pool head first and telling him to swim. But these were the cards he was dealt.

Shutting his eyes probably wasn't the best course of action, but it happened on instinct. There were a lot of blades coming right for him, and Jason didn't really want to see his own death coming. Not that it did. He felt energy course up and out his fingertips, and nothing ever hit him. Jason slowly opened his eyes to find most of the blades frozen in midair.

He did it?

Of course he did it. Totally planned. Jason wobbled a little as he stood to his feet and then a smirk broke out across his face as he inspected his work. “Good job, Jason,” Lupa called from the porch.

“Totally under con-” Jason yelped as the blades unfroze and flew by his head, one cutting him across the cheek. “Er, I mean... all planned?”

Kronos arched a brow at him, crossing his arms. “Don't get overconfident. Remember, keeping objects suspended in time takes focus. Time works against you, it's straining. You can't drop concentration like that.”

“Right, right,” Jason mumbled as he rubbed his cheek. “I'll get it next time.”

Letting out a sigh, Kronos waved a hand and all the blades in the yard vanished. “We'll pick this up tomorrow. Go get cleaned up and ready for dinner.” He glanced to the porch. “Lupa was cooking. I hope you got better with your cooking, since I saw you years ago.”

“Don't get your hopes up,” Lupa called back before she went inside.

Jason leaned in and whispered, “We usually ordered delivery.” It made Kronos cringe. Jason watched his grandfather for a moment, as he rubbed his neck and sighed. Being responsible for the coven seemed to carry more wait for Kronos than it did for Gaea. What would Kronos even think of his mother if he knew the truth about what she had done to Tartarus? It wasn't fair to keep it from him. “Kronos, I...”

But also might not be the best time.

Kronos peered at him, arching a brow when Jason didn't respond. Jason just shook his head. Right now was not a good time. It would only stress Kronos out more. Besides, it would be Gaea's responsibility to tell Kronos. When she came back, Jason would make her confess the truth.

“Nothing,” Jason whispered.

As Kronos went inside, Jason was left with his thoughts. His shoulders slouched as he sat down on the grass. This was not how he imagined his year going, or meeting his family to be like. Nothing about this year had gone as planned. Everything normal had basically been a lie, at least it felt that way, and now Jason was swept up in secrets, lies, and possibly the end of the world. No pressure.

When Jason looked up, he found that everything seemed much darker than before. The sun seemed to be dimmer and the grass had lost its color. But standing there, leaned up against a tree, was Jason's mother. Or, rather, Circe in his mother's body.

Jason shot from the ground, jaw clenched. “Did you even know?” he seethed. “Did you know what Gaea did to your brother? Your own brother?”

Circe's expression remained neutral. “I did not know until after I died, but I understand it now. My masters needed a vessel. My brother should have felt honored.” A smile coiled across her lips. “He would have been the ultimate tool to lead us into the new world. One where witches and warlocks no longer need to hide what they are.” Her fist clenched. “We will rule over mankind, and it will be mortals that need to live in fear. However,” her eyes flickered up to Jason's face, “it seems my masters will have to use a different plan. One that you can count yourself lucky to be included in.”

Jason scoffed, “I'm not helping you. I'm done playing around. If you think that I would ever hand you that book-”

“It's amusing that you even think you have a choice in the matter.” Circe's eyes glinted in amusement. Jason sent out a bolt of lightning, but Circe phased through the tree and the lightning simply blackened its trunk. She was just toying with him, and it just made Jason even more angry. “You see, by then, it will be too late for dear little Nico. How much longer do you really think he has before that corruption inside consumes him?”

“You're lying.”

“Am I?” Circe smirked at him and hovered up to sit in the tree. “It will get to him soon, and you'll have lost him forever. Maybe you'll even have to put him down. That would be very painful, I'm sure. Or... perhaps... you'd let him destroy you? I imagine that would be the case. Even if it mean that Nico destroyed everything after he killed you.” Even in his rage, Jason knew it was true. He couldn't kill Nico. “All he will need to do at that point is be able to endure taking such an immense force into his body.”

No. Jason stepped forward and thrust a finger up at her. “You're wrong. I won't let that happen. I will find a way to stop all of this. I don't care the price.” He felt himself shake as Circe laughed at him. “I will kill you,” Jason whispered.

“Kill who?”

Jason startled and blinked his gaze back into focus. Everything seemed normal again. The tree was fine, the sun was shining again, and the grass was green. Lupa was standing there, wiping her hands on a towel. Circe was gone.

“Um,” Jason cleared his throat, “nothing, Lupa. Just, um... Is the food ready?” Totally not obvious subject change.

Thankfully, Lupa just nodded at him. Jason jogged to the house, ignoring the concerned look that she gave him. He could still hear Circe laughing at him in his head. But he wasn't lying. He would find a way to stop all this.

\----------------------------------

Valentines Day wasn't something that Jason normally celebrated. In fact, he couldn't think of a year that he had been dating anyone on the holiday before now. He had gone on dates with Nico before, but this was a little more intimidating. He ran a finger along the collar of his turtleneck as he waited at the door. Thankfully, everyone was gone, except for Nico. He was a little jealous of Hades and Persephone, though, off celebrating in Paris. Maybe he should take Nico somewhere in the future.

Preparations for the wedding were causing even more chaos around the houses. Silena was more than stressed out. She nearly threw a vase at Selene when the woman tried to invite herself to the wedding. And then Reyna was irritated because her coronation as First under Ares was in a few days. Honestly, Jason was just ready for this entire school year to be over with. He just hoped that the world was still standing after that point.

After a few more seconds of waiting, the door opened and Nico poked his head out. He smiled and stepped out to hug Jason. “Hi,” Jason whispered in Nico's ear as they embraced. Nico smelled amazing, and like food, which meant that dinner was ready. Demeter had apparently helped Nico cook something, at least according to Bianca.

Not even Cerberus was in the house. The spirits seemed quite and vacant. Everything seemed... normal. It was great. Jason followed Nico through the house. At least they didn't have to worry about exchanging gifts this time. Nico had said the only thing he wanted was a big box of chocolates for the both of them to eat on while they watched movies.

The dining room was dimly lit, the only source of light was coming from all the candles throughout the room. All the food was already on the table for the two of them. It was a little weird to sit at such a big table with only two of them there, but Nico had used the rest of the space around them for the food, which looked and smelled amazing.

The urge to reach out and brush some of Nico's hair to the side was very overwhelming for Jason. During the winter, Nico apparently let his hair grow out a little more. Which wasn't necessarily that it got super long or anything, it just curled more like this. It looked much fuller and Jason just wanted to bury his fingers in it.

It was nice, just the two of them. Sure they had managed to have private moments since Jason found out what he was, but there was a lot of people in the coven. Which meant that they were usually accompanied by those people. Even in their own houses. So to have an entire evening to just the two of them was like magic in and of itself.

But it also gave Jason time to think.

There was this pit in his stomach just from looking at Nico, and no amount of food was filling it. His foot began to tap incessantly under the table. Thankfully, Nico had yet to notice it. He just didn't like keeping this secret from Nico. It was very important, and Nico did have a right to know, as it did concern him. Maybe Nico would even have an idea of what to do about the situation, since he had been studying magic for far longer than Jason.

“Jason?” Nico asked, lifting a glass of wine to his lips. His dark eyes bore into Jason over the top of the glass and it made Jason flinch. “You haven't really been eating. Which is saying a lot, coming from me.”

Jason mumbled, “Sorry.” Every inch of his skin felt like it needed to be scratched all of a sudden. Why did it feel so uncomfortable in here now?

“Are you going to be going to prom at the end of the year?”

“I feel like there are other things to think about, rather than prom,” Jason muttered, taking a sip of his own.

“True, but I don't think that-”

“I need to tell you something.”

Nico's eyes widened a little as Jason dropped his fork and leaned forward. “Um, okay? Is everything all right?”

No, it really wasn't. “I don't... really know where to start.” Reaching up, Jason wiped at his face. There was such a tightness in his chest and he needed it to stop. “I learned some things. Gaea, when she was being taken away, spoke to me. She stopped time and gave me instructions to find some memories of hers. I did.” It was too hard to look at Nico at this point, so Jason's eyes found their way to his plate. The food, which had seemed so amazing to start with, left a bad taste in Jason's mouth all of a sudden. “You know that taint that is on your soul... the remains of what Tartarus did?”

“Kind of hard to forget,” Nico whispered, putting his own fork down and wiping his mouth.

Jason could feel the stern look that Nico was giving him, waiting for an explanation as to where this was going. “It was Gaea,” the words came out barely above a whisper and Jason wasn't entirely sure that Nico had heard him. “She gave him that book that Circe wants. She found it and had used it previously. She killed the colony of Roanoke to gain the immortality that our family possesses. But it came at a price. She made the deal with the Shadow Tribunal and their price was that she had to acquire them a dark vessel that could host one of them. It was Tartarus, and she helped set him on that path. I don't know why she never acted further on it, but I felt you should know, since it now concerns you. I think you're now the vessel that is part of this deal, and I think Circe is going to try and come for you.”

A long silence fell out over the room. Jason thought that maybe he had whispered it all so quietly that Nico in fact did not hear him. So he looked up. Nico had a dazed look in his eyes, staring down at his own hands like he was suddenly unclean or diseased. It hurt to see this and Jason felt a little regret in confessing all this to Nico now.

He reached out and took Nico's hands across the table. “I don't think any differently of you. Everything is going to be fine. Surely there is a way to fix this.

“You don't know that,” Nico whispered. He finally looked up at Jason, his eyes focusing once again and a frown forming across his lips. “If there was a way to fix me, we already would have.”

“You're not broken, Nico.”

“I might as well be.”

It stunned Jason to hear those words. “You can't honestly believe that. Nico, I'll find some way to fix this. We can stop Circe. Maybe that will end it.”

Nico sighed and took his hands back. “Do you honestly believe those words, Jason? You think Circe is the only subject that the Shadow Tribunal has? There are more, and they'll send more. If you make a deal with them, they will make sure its upheld.” Nico shook his head and pushed his plate forward. “Why haven't you told anyone else about this?”

“Gaea told me to find it, not Kronos. I figure there is a reason. I mean, aside from Kronos hating his mother if he found out.”

Slouching in his chair, Nico let out another sigh and combed his fingers through his bangs. “This is all a disaster. Well, I'm definitely not drinking that immortality potion now.” Jason pouted at that. “Jason, there's no way of knowing what falls into their plan. For all we know, that is what they want from me. Think about it, why didn't Gaea ever collect my grandfather for the Shadow Tribunal? Why haven't I been used for it yet? I'm willing to be that the missing piece is the potion.”

“Or maybe the soul hasn't been corrupted enough.”

“That is also a likely possibility.” Nico huffed and pushed his chair back, standing to his feet. Jason did the same. “Either way, I think this needs to be brought to the others.” He quickly held up a hand when Jason went to argue. “We can start with like Reyna, Annabeth, and Luke. Maybe Rachel. I need the girls for their brains on the matter.”

Every time that Jason had seen Rachel in the past few weeks, she had seemed more and more tense. Honestly, he had put a hand on her shoulder in English the other day and she nearly fell out of her seat. Not that she would tell anyone as to why.

Well, the date definitely felt ruined, or at least the mood did. Since they weren't hungry anymore, Jason and Nico moved upstairs to watch some movies and eat chocolate. Jason had to actually conjure more, as the both of them stress ate the first box within five minutes.

He wasn't sure if the night was truly ruined or not until later that night. Jason expected to just go home, but Nico asked him to stay. Which he did. They talked more. Jason ran Nico through every detail of Gaea's memories that he had witnessed, so that maybe it would spark something for Nico. Maybe an answer to their problems. Then they went to bed, but very much minus the sleep part. Their clothes were tossed to the side and they did not actually fall asleep until the sun was nearly up. And, honestly, Jason was truly thankful that there weren't any spirits to report back to Hades for all the noise that came out of Nico's room that night.

\-------------------------------------------

Watching Reyna receive the medallion as First to her house was a bittersweet moment for everyone. Jason stood next to Nico as they watched Ares put the medallion on her, though his attention was more on his boyfriend. He was really thankful for magic, because in the four days that had passed, Jason was very certain that normal hickeys would not have faded by now. And there were a lot, all over both of their bodies. He just kept staring at where they had been on Nico's neck, though the boy's skin looked completely normal. They had also not had sex again since that night, because Nico complained that he was now too sore. They might have gone a little overboard with the amount of times they did it.

Nico, without looking at him, kicked Jason in the ankle. Straightening up, Jason turned his gaze forward once again. The rest of the coven had met Lupa by now. Or, rather, they caught back up with her. Most of the adults actually knew her. It made since, when Jason thought about it. How else would his parents have known to find her in California? Not to mention that Mellie knew both Lupa and his family.

It was clear from looking at Reyna that she didn't want that medallion on her neck, but she didn't take it off. Not yet. Jason figured it would probably last two seconds after this was over. Apparently, if Gaea didn't return soon or the High Coven threw her in jail, Jason would also be made a First. Or at least a temporary one. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. Probably similar to how Reyna did right now.

When the ceremony was over, everyone got ready to eat. Right before Jason could get a plate, he was yanked away by Eros. The nephilim pulled Jason far away from everyone else and even peered around to make sure that nobody could listen.

“Is everything okay, Eros?” Jason began.

“No,” Eros confessed in a whisper. He frowned, but would not look at Jason. “The other one, the one in your classmate. Octavian.” Eros was staring awfully hard into the distance. “He is dangerous and should not be trusted. I was not supposed to tell anyone, but...”

Jason finally followed Eros' gaze, and watched as several of the coven loaded their plates. Specifically a blond head of hair caught his attention. Luke laughed at something Percy said, and carried two plates. Oh.

“You're worried about Luke?” Jason guessed.

A pause followed and then a nod. Eros had his fists clenched at his sides. “There is a lot that I can't talk about, plans and knowledge that I contain. There are reasons for everything, and a reason for me being here. You asked me once, when I was first brought here, why I let it all happen. Nephilim see the flow of time, and all the possibilities that come with it. We know how long people will live and how they die. We have many secrets.” Those eyes finally left Luke and pierced straight through Jason, pinning him where he stood. “I'm not ready to tell you why I am where I am. I just want you to know not to trust the other one. He is very dangerous.”

“But you can't tell me why?”

Eros shook his head. “He is dangerous. That is all you need to know.” His gaze once again fell to Luke, who was now walking their way. “I don't want harm to come to him or the rest of this coven.”

Throwing on a smile, Eros held out his hands as Luke offered him a plate. The smile from Luke fell away when Eros stuck his fingers in the mashed potatoes and just spooned it into his mouth. “I brought you utensils,” Luke mumbled, putting them on the plate. Eros stared at them. “Come on, gremlin.” Luke turned to Jason as they walked towards the door. “Save you a place outside.”

“Yeah,” Jason muttered as he watched them go. Why did it seem like problems just kept stacking up? Well, he didn't very much like this other nephilim anyways, since it was trying to collect Mellie's unborn child.

After he got his food, Jason found Nico outside on the porch with Percy, Reyna, Annabeth, Luke, Eros, and Rachel. He had this sinking feeling that they were about to have a very bad talk. He was correct. Because, as soon as he sat down next to his boyfriend, Nico gave him this look that let Jason know that they were indeed going to have this discussion right here and now.

Because Jason just couldn't get a break.

“So,” Jason began, “there's something I need to tell you guys.”

Over the next fifteen minutes, Jason ran over everything he knew with the group in as much detail as he could. Which didn't seem to be enough for Annabeth, because she kept asking for more information. Percy frowned at Nico the entire time this discussion was happening, and it looked like he was about to hug Nico at any moment.

It was Luke that spoke first. “Maybe we should go to the adults. All of this is building up.”

“We will,” assured Nico, “if we absolutely have to. They have a lot to deal with right now as it is, between the rest of these witch hunters and now the High Coven.” His eyes glanced at Jason. “Plus Circe lingering around.”

Turning his attention to Rachel, Jason asked, “Is there anything you could tell us? You see the future. Surely there is something.” He knew he sounded desperate. It wasn't the time to care. “Anything. Anything you could tell us might help.”

It was clear that Rachel felt uncomfortable with the question. “It's... clouded.” From beside her, she pulled out her sketchbook from her bag. Flipping through several pages, she nodded at one and flipped it around to show the group. Jason felt floored. It was the tree that he had seen from his dream, the one from the book. “The cycle of life. Very powerful magic is soon to be at hand. This is at the center of it. Birth, life, and death. Three parts.”

“Circe has mentioned three people. She said I was part of it,” Jason quickly nodded. His eyes fell on Nico again, and he felt a hollowness to his stomach. “I think... I think the death part has to do with Nico.”

Rachel nodded. “Most definitely someone in his family.”

“I think it would be safe to assume, if that's true, that all three have to be here in this coven,” Annabeth theorized. A finger was tapping against her lips.

After stuffing food in his mouth, Percy let the fork sit between his lips. “So,” he mumbled, “if Nico is death, then what does that make Jason?”

“Time,” Rachel replied. “The passing of time over a life. Complete representation of the expanse of a life.”

“Right,” Percy said slowly. “So what about the part about birth?” His eyes narrowed a little and he stared up at the sky. Rachel and Annabeth were both staring at him, the latter looking like she wanted to palm her face. “What if it's like Apollo? Healing. Birth. He delivered Zoë.”

“Apollo watched his sister give birth?” Jason asked.

Ignoring the question, Annabeth just said, “It's you, Percy!” Both Jason and Percy startled. “You are the third part. Duh! Water is also a symbol of healing, as well as birth. New life. Considering the ages of the other two here, I'd say you also fit.”

“Three born close together, each to represent a part of the tree. All when a gate of magic will soon be opened,” Rachel said. Everyone looked at her funny. “Something big revolves around the this tree and what it represents. Or, rather, the three of you.” She pointed to her drawing again, frowning. “This tree is unholy, though. There are two representations of the tree of life. The good one, which all life is said to be created from. The essence of magic and everything. This one is a corrupted version of that tree, twisted in its magic by the Shadow Tribunal.”

“Great,” Percy mumbled. “Why did I have to be dragged into this?” He sighed and hopped off the porch, leaving his food behind to pace. “Can't someone else do it? I don't really fancy being responsible for something like the fate of the world. I think someone out there picked the wrong guy.”

“Calm down, Percy,” Reyna said. “You'll be fine.” She had been sitting there, silently listening, up until now. “Besides, none of us feel any better about the three of you holding the fate of everything in your hands.”

“Hey!” Jason, Percy, and Nico whined.

Smirking to herself, Reyna continued, “And what about this other nephilim then?” She glanced down at Eros, who was too busy tasting all of his food to pay them any attention.

When all eyes followed and Eros still didn't seem to notice, Luke nudged him. Frowning with a spoon between his lips, Eros looked to the group. “Is there any way to actually beat a nephilim in its full power?” Jason asked.

“Well,” Annabeth began as she put her food aside, “there are a few recorded ways. One does entail the killing of the host body.” She waved a hand when Jason went to object. “However, we can try to avoid that one. A few magical weapons have been crafted over the years that are documented to be able to kill a nephilim. Excalibur is one of those, but it was lost after Arthur's death. There is also-”

“Won't work,” Eros finally interjected. Annabeth frowned at him. He just shrugged and poked at his food. “They don't actually work. None of your kind actually knows how to kill us, we just made you think you did. We gave you false methods to give you comfort.” He shoved a spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth and swallowed. “Do you think we would actually show anyone how to truly kill us? I mean, banishing us is also just for show. We technically leave at our own will.” Hearing this caused several of the others to glance at one another. “All of your documented methods are just myths.”

Annabeth scoffed, “Well, if we can bind the magic of one, even with its power dampened, I'm sure we can find a way to actually destroy one in its full power.”

The others in the group nodded, but Eros said nothing else. Jason watched as the nephilim quietly put more food in his mouth, almost able to see wheels turning in his head. Eros knew something else. Perhaps it had to do with his reasoning for putting himself into this position in the first place. He doesn't seem bothered by what Annabeth said, though. Perhaps that was the most disturbing part for Jason.

\---------------------------------------

“You know,” Jason said to Nico as they watched everything play out before them, “I don't think Kronos or your grandfather probably appreciate us seeing some of these things.”

Currently, they were watching Tartarus yell at Pluto, Hazel's father, while Kronos, Hades, and Melinoe watch uncomfortably. Apparently, Pluto was trying to make a deal with Papa Legba over the life of his unborn child, and Tartarus was furious. Both Hades and Melinoe cringe when Tartarus hurls a vase at the wall. Melinoe was not quite so much like Medea. For one, she wore colors other than black. Her face was also more peaceful and her demeanor more approachable.

Nico just shrugged from his place beside Jason in this flashback to the past. “On the bright side, you haven't stumbled across them having sex. I, on the other hand, have to live with those memories implanted into my head.” Jason smiled at that, but Nico did not. “You try staring at Kronos after knowing what he did to my grandfather.”

“Well,” Jason grinned, “I know what I've done to you.” Nico elbowed him for that.

“The child hasn't even been born yet!” Tartarus yelled at the unflinching Pluto. “You can always have another! Don't throw your life away for this woman, or this child!”

Pluto argued, “It is both my life to give, and my child to save. It does not concern you, father!”

“I am in charge of this family, and I say that it is!”

“Father-”

But Tartarus cut him off. “Perhaps you shouldn't have married that voodoo bitch in the first place! Since she was stupid enough to offer up your firstborn child to a loa!” Melinoe got up and poured her father a drink. Staring at it for a moment, Tartarus swiped it up and downed it in one gulp. “Thank you, darling.” Then he turns his dark gaze back to Pluto. “Why can't you be more like your sister? She cares for her father's health. Or perhaps your brother? Who is what any good father could want from a son. But instead you disobey me by marrying Marie, and now you are willing to pay a price that you shouldn't even be paying.” His glare darkens when Pluto still doesn't flinch. “Get out of my sight.”

Without another word, Pluto turned around and walked out. Hades stood up and opened his mouth. “Father, perhaps-”

“Leave me!” Tartarus bellowed.

Pursing his lips, Hades nodded and grabbed Melinoe to leave. When the door closed, Kronos looked over at Tartarus with a tilt of his head. “I think you're being a bit too hard on him. You're getting a little worked up.”

Tartarus cracked his neck and poured himself some more brandy. “I think I know my own limits,” he mumbled. Kronos smirked at that. Shadows receded back into the darkness of Tartarus' eyes, and the gray blotches on his skin began to fade. “I am working on controlling it, but it is hard sometimes when my children do stupid things like that.”

The two smiled at each other briefly, though Tartarus' definitely seemed less bright. Nico squeezed Jason's hand as they watched all this. But then there was a knock on the door and the moment faded between Tartarus and Kronos. Rhea poked her head in and frowned, but only for a second.

“Come, dear,” she said, “your mother is looking for you.”

“Ah.” Kronos nodded and walked over to the couch to retrieve his coat from where it lay across the back. Rhea took this opportunity to glare at Tartarus, who stared blankly back at her as he lit a cigarette. Kronos noticed and frowned. “You know those are bad for you.”

Rolling his eyes, Tartarus put the cigarette out. “Yes, mum.”

When they left, Tartarus briefly smiled to himself. He sighed and put cigarette in the ashtray above the fireplace and then poured himself more brandy. Jason went to squeeze Nico's hand, but found nothing. His brow furrowed and his head snapped to the side. Nico was gone.

The fire suddenly went out and a chill ran through the room. Tartarus had his back to Jason, hands clenched on the mantle above the fireplace. But when he spoke, Jason knew the warlock was not talking to himself. “Do you think you can hide, little warlock?” There was something off and distorted about Tartarus' voice as he spoke. Almost like there was not one, but three voices speaking at once. When he turned around, there were dark cracks along his face and hands. His eyes burned with an empty coldness, and he looked directly at Jason. “There is no stopping what is to come. There is no stopping us. Standing against us will only mean death.”

Shit, was all that ran through Jason's mind. He was hesitant to run, but slowly made his way to the door. This was bad. He had a sinking suspicion as to what—or rather who—had just found him in this memory of the past.

“Join us,” said the distorted voice,” and have whatever it is that you desire.” Tartarus was suddenly upon Jason, circling him like some predator about to attack its prey. The room faded around them, like ripples in water. “This world will soon be reborn as we see fit. Stand against us, and we will wear your most precious like some meat suit. Is that really what you want?”

Unsure if he'd ever get an opening, Jason did what his brain was screaming at him to do. He ran. He felt something cold swipe at his neck, but missed. Glancing behind him, he found Tartarus was not chasing after him. The voice, however, did not fade. In fact, it sounded like it came from Jason's head.

“You cannot run. You cannot hide,” it said. “We so long to be free once again.”

Jason faced forward again, and instantly found a hand clasped around his throat. He was lifted up by Tartarus. He scrambled in the grasp, kicking and clawing to get free. He couldn't breathe. But Tartarus' grasp was like steel. Slowly, Tartarus opened his mouth with a raspy exhale, and black smoke came out. Jason's eyes widened as the smoke snaked its way up to Jason. Into his eyes and nose it went, a seemingly endless stream.

Jason shot up in bed, screaming and covered in sweat. Something was squirming in his grasp, but his vision was too blurred to see anything. A hand came up and clawed at his shoulder. Jason's eyes snapped to focus and his hands instantly let go of what he had been holding, scooting far away.

He had been strangling Nico.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a nice place to end. So I can't remember how many more chapters I said previously this fic had, but I'm thinking it's close to 5. Roughly. The story will end around the wedding, and I don't think there is a whole lot more to cover before then. Of course what happens after that will come in the book series, whenever that happens. I am several chapters into the first book now. Actually writing it. And I'm about to spend more time focused on it. There's another standalone book that I've had on my list to write for a few years now, but I put it aside when I decided to make this a book series. However, I felt like writing it again. It's a more personal piece for me.
> 
> But I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Again, I'm sorry about the delay. Hopefully, the next update won't be like 2 or 3 months.


End file.
